I've been a fan of Natalie Gardiner for several years now, thanks to her 2004 self-titled debut album and 2007's California. The Swedish songstress has a knack for taking what, in the hands of a lesser vocalist, would be a pretty run-of-the-mill slice of downtempo electronica, and transforming it into an attention-grabbing, if somewhat reserved, soulful lullaby. Natalie is definitely of the "less is more" school of singers, with some of her songs barely raising above a whisper, but rather than dissolving into pleasant background noise it makes you sit up, pay attention, and strain to hear whatever it is she has to say. Things have been quiet since the release of her last album, except for a guest appearance on The Broken Orchestra's "Over & Over," but a chance Google search informed me that she has a new album out. Northern Skies is a double-disc effort recorded over a period of four years and sees Natalie switching her previous hi-tech beats for a more singer/songwriter style, backed by sparse piano courtesy of Björn Ehlers. Check out the gorgeous "You" then head on over to Natalie's Bandcamp page where you can cop the full release.
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