Anna Beard
Arts & Culture Editor
Mr. Little Jeans, aka Monica Birkenes, debut album Pocketknife officially dropped for public consumption on March 25, but like many Nordic songstresses before her, the follow-through is just as brilliant as the build up.
Birkenes first gave us a taste of her talent back in 2011 with a cover of Arcade Fire’s track, “The Suburbs.” Combining her gorgeous vocals with a down-tempo version of the track turned more than a few people into fans. The track currently has more than 10,000 likes on Soundcloud and almost 887,000 plays.
Pocketknife is an electro-pop beauty that combines Birkenes’ breathy lyrics and an insatiable groove. With songs like “Rescue Song,” “Runaway,” and “Lady Luck,” this album really sets the stage for a much-desired spring-like adventure complete with sun-drenched mornings and bicycles.
The back half of the album has a few tracks that let fans catch your breath after getting their dance on. The famed cover of “The Suburbs,” “Heaven Sent,” and “Far from Home” all bring listeners home before launching into the final track, “Valentine.” The end track brings all album elements together for one final hurrah before diving into a hidden track.
It isn’t all about the feeling you get when you listen to this brilliant first chapter. The technical aspects of the album are beautiful as well. With stellar transitions that read like a book, the album has great production value – everything is in balance.
All in all, this album is perfect and exactly what listeners need to break them out of a terrible winter funk. If one listen to her current single “Good Mistake” doesn’t make you want to get up and dance, then stay hibernating – spring isn’t the season for you anyway.
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