Loop – Marie Noreger

Listening to a full album from start to finish feels like a lost ritual these days. Yet here I am, 40 minutes later, having spun through all 14 tracks of Loop by one of our Scandinavian Soul favourites, Marie Noreger.

The album opens with I Wanted More, and if you came to this record hoping to discover the pure soul of Scandinavia, you might be surprised. It’s dark, eerie, and ethereal, more art film than R&B. For me, it’s an unusual opening choice that doesn’t invite you deeper in. However, the next track Jaded absolutely does. It’s a mellow bedroom-soul groove that feels smooth and lived-in, a song you can play again and again.

That’s the duality of Loop. The good moments are exceptional.

Open Up to Me carries a moody, midnight calm that draws you closer. Forever Young pulses with rhythm and attitude. One of the album’s true high points. But directly after this comes Could, a track that feels incomplete and disrupts the album’s flow. It’s this unevenness that makes listening as a whole a little frustrating.

When Loop, the title track, arrives, it restores the mood. It’s slow, smoky energy and Marie’s understated vocal delivery highlight what she does best, offering emotion without excess. There’s a naturalness to her voice that never feels forced. She simply is, and that authenticity is one of her strongest qualities.

Then came Trust, a bounce of bass and rhythm that radiates confidence. It’s Marie in full flow, cool, innovative, and stylish. Drying My Tears and Like a Soldier satisfy, but in between these highlights are tracks that fade into the background rather than strengthen the whole.

And that’s the thing about Loop. Not every moment feels essential. The interludes frustratingly tease glimpses of what could have been full songs. Narrowing it down could have made the experience tighter and more focused, the kind of album you can leave playing in audio bliss.

The closing track Take Me As I Am feels like Marie’s quiet message to the listener as she wrap up, and perhaps to reviewers like me. Take her as she is.

So while Loop might not fully deliver the consistent ride I hoped for, its highlights are worth staying for. In fact, they might inspire you to create your own Marie Noreger playlist, though something tells me Marie would rather you listen to it as one complete work. Either way, she’ll keep you in the loop.

Highlights: Jaded, Open Up to Me, Forever Young, Loop, Trust, Drying My Tears