Desolate Stars sounds like it was recorded in your living room, with the musicians sat around your sofa. It’s personal, tender, easy to like – a rather beautiful little record. The sparse yet intricate instrumentation makes it feel like they have you on a string, pulling you this way and that, all with gentle grace. It wasn’t, in fact, recorded in your living room or anyone else’s, but not far off – Linn Osterberg, AKA Sea Lion, put this together in her Gothenberg bedroom while suffering from crippling anxiety and a lack of confidence. The results are pretty special.
In the brief space of 25 minutes she blend instrumental tracks with those boasting her beautiful vocals. On ‘Plains’ she uses an almost baby-style voice, making the listener lean in, fully engaging and handing on her words as she softly sings. Then a piercing higher voice enters the background and shoots straight through to the fore. It’s a fascinating and striking track, simple and like an arrow in the chest, making a magnificent impact on its target.
Forget the brief length of this record, for there is more than enough beauty in this short set. Desolate Stars is a gorgeous little thing that deserves to be heard far and wide. It feels so personal and dreamlike. Book yourself 25 minutes of quiet time in your day and fill it with this. It’s a peace you are unlikely to find anywhere else. It’s a treat, no doubt about it.