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STARLET
“Songs about loss and love” was how Sweden's Starlet described their debut album “From the One You Left Behind”. When they made this album in 1997 they were still in their twenties, still not married, and still not legally divorced. But hey, who said those are necessary criteria for severe heartache in the blue, cold, post-nighttime hours?
Recognized as part of the “Åhus Scene” that was once designated by the Swedish pop press as “the Mecca of Swedish wimp pop”, Starlet comes from the same region as Club 8, Acid House Kings, Pop Race, and Leslies.
Jonas Färm describes his contribution to the album's songwriting this way: “When I learned to play the guitar, about 1992, I tried really hard to make songs that sounded like Popsicles' “Laquer”, but it didn't work at all, and I found out that it was a stupid idea trying to sound like another band. Then I got every Beatles album and made the same mistake. Now I just follow a feeling when I write a song, and subconsciously fragments of my influences of the time trickles through, mixing with me and the sound of me.”
Most lyricists are unable to express such sentiments so perfectly. The fact that Starlet does so in a second language is noteworthy. The songs contain no irony whatsoever, and are suitable for domestic use, radio use, soirees and car driving, alone or together with friends.
In 2000 they released “Stay on my Side” on Labrador and it was voted one of the best albums of 2000 by the prestigious Spin magazine. The follow-up “When Sun Falls on my Feet” was released in January 2002. The semi-acoustic sound from the previous album was here replaced by a more bold and electric sound.
Starlet is now a solo project only consisting of vocalist Jonas Färm. He is currently working on a fourth album.
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