Making world music is no easy task. Incorporating elements of
various musical traditions — some esoteric, some immediately
recognizable — into a single, striking work of art is like
building a car out of parts from numerous models. If the thing runs,
it’s a miracle. On East of Eden, Taken by Trees’ sophomore
album, songwriter Victoria Bergsman (best known for her time in the
Concretes and guest vocals on Peter Bjorn and John’s 2006 smash “Young
Folks”) hunts down the various parts but fails to really get on the
road. Instead, East of Eden feels like a homogenized,
corporate-sponsored trip around the world that ignores the grit and
grime in favor of tourist hot spots. Despite all the foreign sounds,
the album’s best song is a cover of Animal Collective’s “My Girls”
(re-titled “My Boys”). But even this seems like a strange choice,
considering the original was released earlier this year. The
songwriting depth and unexpected instrumentation reveal that Bergsman
has a wealth of resources and arranging ability at her disposal. Maybe
she just needs to keep them within the confines of the Swedish pop
scene. — Matt Whelihan
This article appears in Sep 9-15, 2009.
