Review from writteninmusic.com

The Swedish singer-songwriter is a fixture in the Scandinavian folk scene, it has been fourteen years since Svante Sjöblom released his first solpo record. Recently, with Svante Sjöblom & Twang, a collaboration project with the Danish string trio of the same name, he unequivocally demonstrated that he is not inferior to fellow musicians from across the Atlantic. In addition to his solo activities, the guitarist sometimes appears with folk divais such as Sofia Karlsson and Sofie Livebrandt,

Livebrant was extensively praised in this section as a result of Weep The Time Away, in turn she flanks Sjöblom in This Road, a tender duet with soft winds. Trombone and sax are omnipresent, whether it is a blues song or a ballad, Ola Akerman and Hannes Benich determine the timbre in no small measure. In Between My Hart And Yours, a waltz that beckons to New Orleans with vocals by Sofia Karlsson, that sounds even stronger.

There is clearly an evolution towards a more broadly orchestrated and varied sound, in addition to the acoustic solo parts, the most diverse roots styles are explored. Somewhat similar to the inspired approach we find in Ry Cooder's musical archeology. Before It Breaks, on the other hand, is composed exclusively with the Swedish musician's own work.

In addition to the modest title track and the aforementioned duets, the timeless song work is convincing, and exudes the atmosphere of folk blues from times long past. The unadulterated gospel soul of Don't Want You Back and the sober bluegrass of The Good, The Bad & The Lovely drag you further on inspired picking. The piano ballad Wrong Side Of Jordan is followed by a vocal get-together with the trio Twang in the Let There Be Light inspired by organ and pastoral winds. When Sjöblom finally falls back on sober guitar accompaniment, it comes across as convincing.

4/5

- writteninmusic.com