We don’t need to tell you much about Wy, all the way up here in late 2019 – I’m pretty sure my colleague Norman has spoken about them on a daily basis for much of the past four years. With the band currently floating in the space between albums two and three, singer Ebba Gustafsson Ågren has now gone solo as Cuntrie. According to Ebba, the project is a way for her to explore things outside of the Wy-space: “A solo project allows me to write about things I never felt fit into what we’re doing with Wy, things like my childhood. I feel like I can experiment a lot more with the themes of the songs”.
So with all that in mind, what did she come up with? Well, out of the gates, Cuntrie isn’t going to scare the Wy fans away – the sonic palette is similar, and there’s a a similar soaked-to-the-skin-in-emotion intensity to it. But somehow it’s a little more raw, as any song with a lyric like “I held a speech about you in class, and people thought you’d killed yourself” will be. The Singer feels like it’s looser and and less structured that Wy’s work, both in terms of music and vulnerability. The melodies are strong, but a little more off-piste and unusual, like the glorious swoop of the pre-chorus (“I always, thought that, you were, cool just, want-ed, to know, more about, you”) and the song’s sibling story is brutally honest and touching in equal measure. It feels any limits are off with Cuntrie, both musically and lyrically. As a solo artist, you’re judged by the stories you tell, and if feels like Cuntrie is capable of some compelling ones.
Every Monday we’re updating the 50-track-strong Listen AHEAD Playlist on Spotify, adding ten strong songs by sill relatively unknown artists at the beginning. This week’s new picks also include fresh songs from Moyka, Bdrmm, King Nun, Marey, Joesef and others. Follow the playlist right here on Spotify and give these new talents a chance.