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Taken By Trees

Who? Before lending her smoky vocals to Peter, Bjorn and John’s summer smash “Young Folks,” Swedish indie poptress Victoria Bergsman fronted the Concretes for 11 years. Having left the lineup in summer 2006 due to creative differences — “True art can’t be made in a democratic group, where everyone gets to have their say,” Bergsman tells SPIN.com — Bergsman now fronts Taken By Trees. Open Field marks the project’s debut release for Rough Trade.

What’s the Deal? Open Field is a heavy-hearted companion piece to Bergman’s fog-like pipes, creeping up on its listener and shrouding them in this kind of haunting beauty that artists like Chan Marshall and Nina Nastasia have paved the way for. The orchestration is kept sparse, letting cymbal sweeps, glockenspiels and piano fills hang in a very purposeful manner, creating this infinite space for Bergsman to let her lyrics linger; a headphone record, inviting you to go get lost. The two-note finger plucking opener “Tell Me,” begs for a friend — “I don’t want to be standing alone without a hand to hold / That’s for everyone / No one should stand without a hand to hold.” Single bell chimes of reverb fade about on the wispy jaunt “Too Young,” while multiple strings and twirling keys on “Lost and Found” keep the melancholy plenty thick.

Fun Fact? Since Bergsman appeared on Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks,” bassist/keyboardist Bjorn Yttling and drummer John Eriksson returned the favor — they both co-produced and played on Open Field.�

Now Hear This:Taken By Trees – “Too Young” DOWNLOAD MP3

On the Web:Taken By Trees at MySpace takenbytrees.com

Talk: Will this Swede get lost amidst her ‘Trees’?

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