Norwegian-born but Swedish-resident singer-songwriter Ida Maria (last name Sivertsen),
a gritty shouter and crooner,
debuted with the album
Fortress Round My Heart (Waterfall, 2008), featuring
guitarist Stefan Tornby, bassist Johannes Lindberg, and drummer Olle Lundin.
Unlike most nordic chanteuses, who specialized in atmospheric ballads,
she was not afraid of displaying irreverent punkish verve
in virulent songs such as Oh My God,
I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked and
Queen of the World that evoked
the raucous British pub-rock of the late 1970s
(Joe Jackson, Graham Parker, the Pretenders).
Her vaudeville, frequently bordering on
headbanging hoedown, runs the gamut from the
upbeat and catchy Louie to the
syncopated and sarcastic Morning Light.
The mellower tunes paint an even more varied world:
the soulful and jangling Drive Away My Heart,
the spartan and heartbroken See Me Through,
and the cow-punk ballad Forgive Me.
Katla (2010)
Love Conquers All (2013)
Scandalize My Name (2016)
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