Marie Dahlstrom is one of the artists we've been following for the longest (since 2016) but I can say I became a real fan with her 2020 album Like Sand.
Yesterday, exactly 3 years after its release, and on the birthday of her son, Marie dropped her sophomore LP A Good Life. Unsurprisingly, the record drips of honey, thanks to her gorgeous & recognisable voice, and she's taken things to the next level in terms of songwriting, composition, and features - with guest acts like Jay Prince, Sipprell & Kofi Stone. The record is produced by long-time collaborator Conor Albert & her partner Dan Diggas.
A collection of 12 tracks, A Good Life shows different sides of her identity - a singer, a songwriter, a producer, a mother - and more importantly, her acceptance of this. Written in between putting her son to sleep, moving, and renovating her home, the LP is about the light & the dark aspects of life which make it full; it's that feel-good sigh when you know you're right where you're supposed to be even though life might be hectic at times.
“I’ve been figuring out where I belong, what I’m supposed to do and how I fit into all this - because I am so much more than an artist. When you have big dreams or goals and you see time being taken away from achieving them, and going towards something else - how do you make that a positive experience? There are always challenges, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good life. A Good Life is based on reflections from a few years of my life with many changes and adjustments. It’s an album about human interaction in all its complexity," Marie elaborated.
One of the tracks that caught my ear is "Let Me In" with Jay Prince, due to the awesome drum groove, warm chors, and the chemistry between their vocals. But the whole album is magnificent, with both sweet-melancholy/warm & fresher songs, and just the right blend of r&b, soul & jazz - an absolute delight from start to finish. Hear for yourself:
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