Charlotte Eriksson - This Is How Ghosts Are Made

Around a month and a half ago I came across a young Swedish artist, called Charlotte Eriksson (The Glass Child) on Youtube. The song that struck my attention was Insanity. For some reason I was impelled to dig a bit more into her music. What followed was a string of fascinating songs played over and over on my computer. It had been some time that something like that happened to me: That I felt some kind of energy pulling me towards the songs. I guess at first I was mesmerized by the power Charlotte transmitted, but then there were the topics she dealt with. So, I got her EP released in December 2011, called This Is How Ghosts Are Made. One short definition: My instincts proved me right.

This is How Ghosts Are Made is Charlotte Eriksson's new EP; her second effort after the Charlotte Eriksson EP. I got the deluxe edition including some extra tracks and some personal notes that give some insight into her life. Being very young, she left Sweden and settled down in London to pursue a career as a musician. This is a big source of inspiration for her: All the thoughts that crossed her mind when she made that huge change in her life, for instance, leaving her friends and family behind, being ditched by record companies because she didn't want to sell out to a more "commercial" style, and her time spent in solitude. All these things, mixed with a very strong personality showing that she won't back down no matter what and that she will prove the world that she can make it give shape to her style: raw songs, leaning toward the minimalistic side which hightlights both Charlotte's strength to fight for her dreams and her honesty. This is a very important concept and, perhaps, what relates me the most to her music: honesty. She does not hide herself in overly produced songs and videos, she does not want to comply to the typical pop singer image, she does not care about what media moguls may think of her; in other words, she stays true to herself and to her fans. This is, in my opinion, a gift rarely seen in music industry nowadays, which should be praised when found.

As it was said before, Charlotte's songs are simple: basic chord progressions and minimal arrangements. This is, however not a bad thing. On the contrary, this is the best setting for her to display her strength and honesty. I would seem strange if things were different, as a more "elaborated" style would hide this rawness her tracks bear and it would also prevent her message to come across as bluntly as it does when listening to This Is How Ghosts Are Made. Honesty, strength, passion for music and a lot of willpower are just some of the attributes Charlotte portrays through her music. Intricate personal stories that develop between the real world and the realm of imagination cast a layer of mystery to the songs. Lastly, an overall attitude of not betraying who she is and what she wants makes Charlotte Eriksson an artist worth following.

On one of her songs the lyrics go: "learned to use my voice and sing up loud enough, maybe loud enough for you to hear me?"; and yes, her voice deserves to be heard. Not only has she proved that she has what it takes to break through as a true artist, but also the statements she makes on all her songs are so solid that the slowly vanishing concept of honesty in music is something we can all rest assured will not be compromised.

Rating: 7/10

Videos:

Best Part Of Me

Insanity

(Pictures taken from Charlotte Eriksson's official website)