SANNI – Kautis Koti

“If in 2022 we’re all nostalgic for screechcore, I won’t be surprised.”

Tim: Title translates as ‘Beautiful Home’, but first a quick clarification, because I had to check: this is not Sannie (Danish, previously known as Whigfield), but is instead SANNI (Finnish, not previously known as Whigfield). You’d probably have got that from the sound, anyway, but still.

Tim: Nice sound, isn’t it, and not one that we’ve heard much before – starts out like so many ballads do, but then you get unusual sounding instruments and synths, and voice that may or may not have had some sort of effect applied to it and it all makes it so much more interesting.

Tom: Mm. My thoughts weren’t “nice sound”: that distorted screeching just doesn’t sound good to me. I’m hoping this isn’t the start of a new trend: I’m not sure I want my brain to get used to that. Still, if in 2022 we’re all nostalgic for screechcore, I won’t be surprised.

Tim: Top that off with the gradual build that comes in throughout the song, and from the halfway point I am all in, because just sounds so great.

Tom: I’m with you there. Even the screeching in the middle eight can’t distract from just how good the composition is.

Tim: As for the lyrics, well, Google Translate’s never been all that when it comes to Finnish, but as best I can tell we’ve something like “we’ve a beautiful, but our love’s not exactly what it once was”. A fairly sad message, sure but the first line of the chorus talks about going to Ikea, so that redeems it for me. All in: I really like this.

Sanni – 2080-luvulla

“I have a nasty gas”

Tim: Here’s a Finnish ballad for your ears, all in Finnish with a title that’s something like “In the 2080’s”.

Tim: I say ‘something like’ – every time we feature a Finnish song I seem to complain about Google not liking it (I think it must be all the dots), and this is no different, with the chorus featuring the lines “Sun flannel willingness to lend” and “I have a nasty gas”.

Tom: Finnish doesn’t have common roots with English; machine-translating it isn’t easy.

Tim: I’m therefore going to make an educated guess, based on the lyrics that it can interpret and the general tone that it’s about being a bit miserable with everything now (starts off on about Netflix binging, also mentions trying to change) but being hopeful that seventy years from now she’ll be happy. Not a hugely cheering message, as most people around right now will be dead by then, and she’ll be pushing 90, but ANYWAY, enough chirpy guesswork with the lyrics, because MUSIC, which is lovely with her vocals, all charming and melancholic and emotional and shivery and feelsy.

Tom: Top quality music reviewing just there.

Tim: Oh, thank you very much.

Tom: There’s a well-produced and deep instrumental behind those vocals, though: it’s not quite Coldplay, but it’s not doing badly if that’s what it’s aspiring towards.

Tim: Although, weird thing and speaking of her vocals: I was listening to my Best of 2011 playlist earlier and there are parts of this that I want to suddenly flow into Playmate to Jesus; finally, in other 2011/Finnish lyrics news, this here from Jenni Vartiainen is still a triumph, so why not check that out?