Hägerstrand is an artist with a background in two very different parts of Finland, the Åland Islands and the Karelia region. Both areas are far away, but both of them serve to make his sound unique. During his long career he has performed on stage with Nirvana, written music for national theaters, and composed the soundtrack to a film that was Finland’s official entry for the Oscars.
He was nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize and continued with tremendous success with his first volume, “Sjögräs Vol. 1.” Now he has produced “Sjögräs vol. 2,” which is the direct second portion of that first book. These two volumes are part of an ongoing creative journey that will culminate in a large multimedia concert in January 2027.
The Swedish lyrics on this EP are rich in many levels, yet the music is a worldwide language. The tunes are so lovely and the quality of the sound is so good that it can easily stand up to any music being made anywhere in the world today. There’s something magical about the making of these four tracks. The kind of music that will linger in your heart and thoughts forever.
The song “Egen lägenhet” (Having an Apartment of One’s Own) is opened with a charming and slightly sorrowful samba-swing sound, which creates a gorgeous scene. Here, the notion of your own location is actually a metaphor. The song is not actually about getting a flat, it is about how we try to connect to each other through love and intimacy. It indicates that when we try to get close to someone else, every one of us is alone at last. We need to stand on our own feet and try to share our life with other people. The music really has to reflect this quiet, intimate environment.
Next song is “Ett litet liv,” which means “a short life” and has the lovely singing voice of the amazing Ella Grüssner. This song recounts a fascinating story about the legendary artist John Lennon. The song is about what could have been the last thoughts of Lennon before he was shot in 1980. It looks at the immense pressure he was under at the time, especially with the prospect of coming back on tour after so long and the cold reception to his latest album. The emotional melody is quiet and provides us a nice look at the weight of fame and longing for a simpler existence.
“I lagens namn” is a term that implies doing things in the name of the law and the music becomes a loud, energetic song that screams out against the pride and blunders of leaders in our world today. The song is based on a famous 1930s photograph of a big group of people in Germany giving a salute, with only one man standing with his arms crossed. It celebrates the spirit of daring rebels like the group Pussy Riot, employing strong sounds to praise those who are not afraid to stand up and speak the truth, even when it is very uncomfortable.
The EP closes with “Ring min mamma,” a candid invitation to call my mom. This track has a joyful, Mexican-style mariachi feel and celebrates the profound comfort of a mother’s love. When the world is too hard to bear alone, the music uncovers our natural impulse to reach back to the one who has known us from the very beginning. The soft music of the tune makes it apparent that asking for help and admitting our weakness is not a sign of failure but a wonderful element of being human.
In the end, “Sjögräs vol. 2” is a musical masterpiece in which real emotion is preferred to facile technique. Hägerstrand has assembled a collection of songs that are both globally competitive in their production and intensely intimate in their meaning. He mixes secret stories and world class tunes to take us on an incredible musical journey
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