Local Feature: Josefin Fundin

Silly Lamb, Never Learns

When she was 20 years old and residing with her parents in Ängelholm, Sweden, Josefin Fundin made a list of all the things she wanted to accomplish in her life. One of the items was "go to an American College", and in turn explore the country responsible for so much cultural brilliance and political blunder first hand. In fall of 2007 that goal became a reality when Josefin moved to Oneonta, NY to attend SUNY Oneonta. For two semesters she studied the business of music, the art of audio engineering, and was inspired by the backwoods, homegrown nature of upstate NY.

This February, Josefin made her first official release, a five song EP entitled Silly Lamb, Never Learns which she wrote, recorded, produced, and released entirely by herself. The songs, mostly just acoustic guitar and vocals, sound something like high quality demos as Josefin obviously applied what she learned at Oneonta for a smooth, clean sound with a good balance between all the musical elements.

The EP opens with the title track, and instantly Josefin's charming and versatile voice is introduced. Along with a slight accent (well, she does speak two Swedish dialects) there is an effortlessness to her vocals, moving easily from a strong bravado to a breathy, nasal toned whisper. Supplying her own backing vocals, Josefin uses a doubling technique to reinforce her more impacting lines and oddly structured choruses.

Perhaps the most exciting use of this is on the standout track "When Life Is On The Line," a song which finds Josefin at her most focused lyrically, and most creative in song structure. Opening with a Macy Gray neo-soul vocal, the song moves quickly and forcefully to a Grace Slick sized crescendo: "Spread the word/If no one listens/How will they be heard?" Josefin says the song's topic of rape and mass poverty came from a particular article she read concerning the Republic of Congo, but her words apply to an unfortunate nature that is present in more than just Congo. Darfur, Rwanda; Josefin's word are wisely self-imposed before being accusing, giving the song greater scope and inherently a deeper resonance. "We are living through the lens of a lie/Passively watching people die" she proclaims, recalling the same spirits that haunted "Give Peace A Chance." Coming from a girl who's original punk rock band, Efface, released an EP titled "Bush is Another Word For Cunt" (Remember him?), the presentation here is considerably more mature and accessible, two traits that will give this song legs well past any current political administration.

While "When Life Is On The Line" stands strong, other tracks such as "Acid Rain" and closer "Half & Half" only get by on their potential. They lack a lasting impression, and more specifically proper instrumentation. Josefin's songs beg to be accompanied by a full on rock group (think Rilo Kiley), hence my disposition of them as high class demos. Regardless, Josefin is an ambitious individual and the excitement of her personality translates cleanly into her music. Silly Lamb, Never Learns is a fitting introduction to an artist just starting to figure out where she fits in sonically, and amidst these sketches there are some particularly stunning moments. Fundin is now living and performing in NYC, so anyone in that area should head over to her MySpace and try to show her some support at her next performance. The Silly Lamb EP is available for download at Amazon and iTunes.

Josefin Performing "When Life Is On The Line"