Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 110 Best Albums of the 2010s, representing a varied cross-section of artists, genres, and styles. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album in the list or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & album index here.
NINA PERSSON | Animal Heart
Lojinx/The End (2014)
Selected by Justin Chadwick
When asked about the prospects of new music on the horizon from The Cardigans earlier this year by Albumism scribe Quentin Harrison, band co-founder and bassist Magnus Sveningsson conceded that “it’s rather unlikely” due to chief songwriter Peter Svensson’s persistent reluctance. So while I and my kindred Cardigans loyalists wait, fingers crossed, for circumstances to change, we’re left to indulge—happily, mind you—in the band’s sterling back catalog. And for me, this indulgence continues to extend beyond the group’s discography to Nina Persson’s A Camp side project and her criminally underappreciated debut solo album. I’ve evangelized it many times before, but Persson is one of the finest songwriters working today, and Animal Heart proves it yet again. Whether it’s the sparkling love song “Animal Heart,” the contemplative “Dreaming of Houses,” or the sparse, piano-driven album closer “This Is Heavy Metal,” Persson’s is a singular, sincere voice that continues to stir the senses.
LISTEN & WATCH:
