On the cover of her Pyjama Party EP, Swedish-French singer/songwriter Izzy Lindqwister looks like the perfect collision of the two lands she’s called home. Blonde hair flowing and cigarette in hand, the sepia tone photo that graces the EP cover tells a thousand words to sum up the classic sound of Lindqwister’s soul that makes her a definite one to watch, and not just in France and Sweden.
‘30 Days’ kicks off Pyjama Party, with a very vintage vocal style reminiscent of Billie Holiday and other female pre-’60s musicians. Lindqwister’s only accompaniment is a single acoustic guitar, and the only thing that seems to be missing is the crackle and pop of a vinyl record under the needle. The simple pairing of voice and guitar ends rather abruptly, to be taken in a very different direction as Lindqwister’s falsetto hums herald the opening to the piano-driven rock track ‘Change Rearrange’. The soulful power voice of the Paris-based singer is showcased for what it really can be, before reverting back to the vintage style present in ‘30 Days’, though backed by an organ rather than a guitar this time.
Following this is a cover of a Jacques Dutronc track, ‘Les Gens Sont Fous, Les Temps Sont Flous’ (People are Crazy, Times are Hazy) that manages to be a very well-executed reimagining of the original. Moving away from Dutronc’s Velvet Underground-esque sound, Lindqwister manages to nail down a much more ‘big band’ feel, with the fully French vocals delivered with much more strength and confidence than either of the preceding tracks. The slower ending to ‘Change Rearrange’ means that ‘Les Gens…’ too feels once again like a big step up in pace and atmosphere. Vocals and organ once again lead the bulk of the track, with brass sections emerging in the chorus to fill out the instrumental backing. Organ plays a part in ‘Ready and Steady’ too shaping the track’s lean towards a more reggae/ska sound. Out of the English vocal performances on the EP, ‘Ready and Steady’ gives the best so far, with Lindqwister dominating the track with ease. The sustained organ notes in the chorus distract from the the voice of the singer/songwriter, however, which does admittedly let the track down somewhat. Despite this, Lindqwister’s backing is used well elsewhere, and the slower reprised chorus that closes the track redeems it is a solid end to the piece.
‘SoLo’ closes the EP and from the start, it feels like something special. Lindqwister’s voice is almost siren-like as it floats dreamily across the track. Easily the highlight of the English-sung pieces on the record, what starts with a strong, slow introduction bursts into flower a third of the way through and from there, Lindqwister is centre-stage as she always should be. The EP ends as it should, with just the Paris-based Lindqwister and an organ to back her up. The pairing closes off an incredibly strong EP which serves as a superb introduction to the soul of Izzy Lindqwister. The Swede is also responsible for a double A-sided single of tracks ‘A Million Keys’ and ‘Fool to Fool’, and while ‘Fool to Fool’ is labelled by the vocalist herself as “Spaghetti Western Pop”, ‘A Million Keys’ is rightly described as a summer-flavoured funk piece. These rather unique genre labels are a running theme with Lindqwister, who refers to ‘Change Rearrange’ as Chinese pop, and delivers much of her music as an inspired reimagination of existing sounds. The vocals on ‘Fool to Fool’ are not too far removed from those of previous band of the day Double No No, while ‘One Million Keys’ is a return to the vintage vocal sound juxtaposed brilliantly by the more modern-sounding backing.
The track feels like someone has taken vocals from a track from decades past and remastered it, though this is not to say that the spotlight has moved away from Lindqwister herself. Rather, it follows her through every instrumental obstacle, as the artist has a knack for keeping attention firmly on her. The soul behind her voice, and how she manages to combine different styles together with apparent ease is nothing short of admirable. The mind of the singer is just as strong, if not more so, than her voice, and with more releases, Lindqwister could see herself become one of France and Sweden’s finest exports. If soul-enthused renditions of a battle-hardened heart are what ticks your boxes, then open yourself up to one of the most imaginative artists you will find anywhere in the world today.
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