Karin Strom

Karin Strom (Nettwerk America)

By Jessie Nelson
Published: June 23rd, 2004 | 2:14pm

She's a Swedish girl with a guitar and a band who moved to Los Angeles and made a demo, not attempting to be anyone but who she is. In this time of image over quality in music, Karin Strom's blend of honesty and acoustic pop rock is refreshing. She comes into this game termed "the biz" with no misconceptions about the kind of artist she is. "When nothing else helps, when strategies and rational arguments fail, I turn to writing songs," she says.

Her five tunes are a little on the '80s pop side, conjuring up early Blondie comparisons. Although Strom's voice isn't close to Debbie Harry's, the band she works with has the same sound. "And every kiss I want to give you to you, I'll sing, I'll sing into this song," she sings on the opening track, "Darling," blatantly honest with things she'll never say to his face. First-time sex gets detailed here as well, with all the insecurities and questions being aired out in the open as she lies next to her lover, who can't say a word, in "Reproduction." Quiet laments about what she should have said and when she should have said it abound in hindsight, just like in real life. That's all Karin Strom is writing about and it's music to ears that are used to hearing the over-produced.