Jackie Conn’s debut album, Baking Day, is much more than just music; it is a carefully kept musical treasure. The album warmly invites listeners into decades of family history, with its roots deep in the mining areas of the Durham coast. This record shows Conn to be a gifted storyteller in the folk music style, with a voice that sounds both old and new at the same time. The album’s main idea is about finding lasting beauty and quiet strength in the everyday, unexciting parts of life.

Conn followed her love for singing for many years, starting in her backyard as a child, before she found her true voice for writing songs later in life. A key moment came when she worked with famous songwriter Boo Hewerdine. This teamwork led to the title track, “Baking Day,” a song about happy Sundays spent with her mother, cooking roasts and baking treats. This track is a beautiful, clear picture of home, love, and keeping traditions alive.

Baking Day

The whole collection works like a family storybook set to music. Though Jackie grew up in the 1960s, the memories go back much further. The stories start with her great-grandfather, Richard Conn, who was born in 1832 and began working in the coal mines at just nine years old. This deep connection to the past means the songs show how the struggles and joys of many lives have shaped the present day.

The music has a close, personal feel because it was mostly recorded in Jackie’s own living room, with producer Dan Whitehouse helping to guide the sound. This style makes the record feel truly lived-in and real. Chris Cleverley, a skilled fingerstyle guitarist, adds lovely, soft playing to many songs. His guitar work creates a delicate space for Jackie’s voice to float above, guiding us gently through these long-ago family moments.

The album starts calmly with the song “A Robin Calls.” This opening piece works like a soft breath, inviting us to slow down and be present. With simple acoustic guitars and soft strings, it sets a feeling of quiet magic and peace. It works as an instant welcome, putting the person listening right at the start of the deep family story that is about to be told.

A Robin Calls

As the emotional center, the song “Baking Day” details the comfort and rhythm of the home kitchen. It uses clear, friendly details—like a treasured rolling pin and the smell of fresh baking—to create a warm, vivid scene. Through her simple singing about these small, familiar objects, Conn shows how routine actions become sacred family habits that forever connect people through love.

Next, “The Gamekeeper’s Lad” moves into the life of a single person, painting a deep picture of Jackie’s grandfather. The song explores the quiet honor of a life focused on service and duty, rather than big dreams, as he moved from being a groom to a mounted policeman. This track tells a very human story, giving respect to the simple dignity of people whose lives may not seem grand but hold great historical weight.

A sudden burst of happiness comes with “Make Believe Mondays.” This track stands out because it brings in a lively jazz piano style, played by David O’Brien. This music perfectly captures the fun and spirit of the Monday night dances that were so important for the women in the family. It celebrates how small moments of freedom and joy can be a necessary escape from the difficulty of life in the colliery town.

Make Believe Mondays

The mood turns seriously emotional with “Emily Cried.” This haunting song addresses the tough issues of poverty and major loss, focusing on a young girl who is forced to grow up too quickly. The music becomes darker and heavier to match the story. Conn’s voice delivers a powerful truth about how severe hardship can permanently change and harden a young heart, offering comfort to those who have faced similar crises.

The album closes with a forward-looking message in “Let Your Light Shine.” This final song feels like a simple, powerful wish for the future. Inspired by her goddaughters’ children, the track offers peace and strength to the next generation, especially during uncertain times. It completes the family cycle not with sadness for the past, but with strong hope that the love and lessons carried forward will be a guiding light ahead.

Baking Day is a truly good and great first album. Jackie Conn has made a real top example of telling folk stories, carefully bringing the voices of her family before her to life. The album moves well from comfort to history, joy, and sadness, making it a must-hear for anyone who likes honest and deeply felt music.

For more, follow Jackie Conn on Spotify, Jackie Conn on Soundcloud, Jackie Conn on Bandcamp.

Jens Gustavson has been making music for close to thirty years in the Swedish music world. He has written, recorded, and shared his songs in many ways, both with different groups and all by himself. In the past, his band, Andras Ungar, was known for having loud, very energetic concerts. Even though he is part of the alternative music scene, Jens Gustavson gets ideas from many different places. He blends music styles like Swedish folk songs, sad blues music, loud punk, and even heavy stoner rock. This shows that he is always willing to try new things. His main influences are important songwriters like Ossler, Anders F. Rönnblom, PJ Harvey, and Mark Lanegan, but his overall music style is too wide and varied to easily put a single name on it.

With his new album, Vissa dagar (which simply means “Some Days”), Gustavson shows a big change in how his music sounds. This record is much more acoustic and plain than his earlier work. It feels more connected to traditional sounds, welcoming listeners on a journey through different kinds of music. The sound moves smoothly between the soulful feel of New Orleans blues, the simple beauty of old European folk songs, and the directness of acoustic indie music. The album was mostly recorded live in a studio in Jämtland, Sweden. This gives it a real, honest sound that lets the listener feel like they are right there watching the performance. This careful process was finished by Robin Lindqvist, who took care of the mixing, production, and mastering.

Humlor

The main point of Vissa dagar is about the honest, real-life struggle of just carrying on every single day. The title itself points to the simple truth that sometimes life is just hard, full of tough moments and daily tiredness. But even with this honest feeling, the album holds onto a small, important sense of hope. The music shows this theme by holding back, using simple music parts where every single note is important to the overall message of the song. For an album made without a major label, the eight songs connect perfectly. They tie together stories about the artist’s own life with wider thoughts about society. It is the kind of music that asks you to take it easy and listen carefully. It promises to show you both the hard parts and the gentle, good parts of life.

The album starts with the song “Humlor,” which means “Bumblebees.” This soft, quiet opening immediately sets the peaceful, rooted mood of the album. The main idea here is about simple, strong continuity—the quiet sound of life that keeps going even when things get confusing. Just like how a bumblebee flies without a clear plan, the song thinks about how we find the strength to keep moving forward when we feel like stopping. The way the guitar is played is simple and real, suggesting that the most important answers are found in the small, daily work of just being alive. This sets a serious and thoughtful mood for the rest of the album.

Numera

Next is “Numera” (Nowadays), where the writing becomes more personal, creating a clear picture of the artist’s journey through small, quiet details. The main feeling of the song is a calm look at who the singer is now, comparing it to the person he was after many years of living and facing challenges. It builds its message by using small, clear pictures from his life. It shows that big changes in life don’t just happen all at once; they happen slowly over time as a result of many small choices, losses, and wins. The music has a soft, almost sad sound that makes the reflection feel real and honest. It’s like looking into a mirror and accepting the hard times while being thankful for the simple fact that life keeps moving.

The song “Kanske just det här” (Perhaps exactly this) is a thoughtful part of the album, set up like a travel story. The main idea looks at good luck, chance, and the different roads we take in life. The message says that the biggest lessons might not come from hitting large goals, but from the side trips and the idea that the time we are in right now is maybe the place we were always supposed to find. The music is very simple, or “bare,” and it uses a slide guitar sound to mark moments of sharp feeling—like a quick moment of knowing something important during a long journey. This song mixes perfectly the sound of New Orleans blues with a deep, thinking Nordic folk feel, helping us find calm in the confusing parts of life.

Vals för utmattade

The shortest track, “Vals för utmattade” (Waltz for the Exhausted), is very honest and straightforward about its feelings. The core message is simply about being real about feeling completely tired and overwhelmed. It takes the feeling of “I can barely get out of bed” and sets it to a catchy, soft waltz beat. The song is a tribute to the heavy feeling of a normal morning and the inner fatigue that modern life often tells us to hide. Its short time is important, making it a fast, strong moment of truth before the listener has to face the day again. This shows that this feeling of exhaustion is a normal thing that comes and goes. It proves that a deep idea does not need a long song, only complete truth.

“Chant” is the last song on the album, and it’s a very powerful one. It changes the subject completely, going from personal stories to big social issues with a very serious, almost church-like feel. The style is clear and wide-reaching, looking at the growing lack of kindness and understanding in the world. The core message is a strong call for people to think about their morals. It’s not a protest song, but a deep, repeating warning—a shared, necessary song against letting a lack of kindness become normal. The music uses backing singers and the deep sound of the Helicon instrument, which makes the song feel like a group ceremony. “Chant” forces the listener to carry the album’s deep thoughts out into the real world. It makes the point that being truly honest must mean caring about the problems in our shared community, not just our own personal struggles.

Vissa dagar is a quiet success. It’s a beautifully made, honest album that shines a light on both the struggles inside us and the worries we see outside in the world. It is the perfect music for anyone who wants a real, deep friend to listen to when life feels tough. It is a record that proves the power an artist finds when they focus only on sharing the truth.

For more, follow Jens Gustavson on Spotify, Jens Gustavson on Soundcloud, Jens Gustavson on Instagram, jensgustavson.com