Su Andersson: “Train Stories” (2020) CD Review

There is still something romantic, something appealing about traveling the country by train, and it’s something I’ve never done. My girlfriend has done it a few times, and she says there are sections of the ride that are just incredible. Su Andersson, a singer and songwriter from Sweden, did it, and then she put out an album of songs based on her experiences. Appropriately titled Train Stories, it was released at the beginning of the pandemic, when all travel came to a sudden halt. It features all original material. Su Andersson plays guitar and timpani on this release. Joining her are Henning Sernhede on guitar, bass, lap steel and backing vocals; Hampus Andersson on drums, piano, organ and tambourine; and Tobias Ljungman on drums and tambourine. There are also guests on certain tracks.

The album opens with a pretty song, “For Roses And Rain,” her vocals at first supported by some gentle work on guitar. I’m guessing most folks who hit the road in some capacity can relate to these lines: “Some disorder in my handbag/Keys and tickets and some lipsticks and coins/Some black colored hair ribbons and a notebook without lines.” There is always a bit of disorder, and it is always important to have something to write on. And we are on this journey with her. Halfway through the track, some percussion is added, and there is more power in her voice then. And Nanni Johansson plays bass and tambourine on this track. Then “On The Train Part I” has more of a rock vibe, with full band, featuring some good stuff on guitar and piano. There is a bit of Chrissie Hynde in her delivery at times. “Now I just want to breathe/The landscapes, the sounds/The sun and the moon.” That sounds so appealing, doesn’t it? It is what a lot of us want, I bet.

On “A Bunch Of Flowers In San Francisco,” Su Andersson’s voice is supported by piano during the first section, a beautiful opening. Check out these lines: “Listen to some tender jazz/Picked up from New Orleans/And before I go to sleep/There’s a song out on the sidewalk/Vanilla in the sky/Sunflowers by the porch.” That’s followed by “A Fisherman And His Son,” which a more serious sound, to the music and to her vocal performance. And anyone who has traveled in recent years has heard or read the warnings, the directions to report any suspicious behavior. And she delivers those lines as spoken word, which is perfect: “Report suspicious behavior/Someone who’s acting nervous/Or abandoned a car near the station/Anyone taking photos of strange things or in strange angles/Making drawings or notes/Or staring at Amtrak employees/When will they come for me?” Of course, that’s me, making notes, so perhaps I am the one demonstrating suspicious behavior. But this song is about more than just that, for once you get past those warnings, though perhaps they remain in your mind, there is magic, there is beauty. In a sunrise, in a sunset. And this track features a good rhythm.

As “The City Of Dark And Bright Angels” begins, Su Andersson’s vocals are supported by just bass, her voice having an intimate sound and feel. And then when the guitar comes in, so too does the cello. That’s Maja Molander delivering some beautiful and moving work on cello. The track builds from there, adding a steady beat on drums. “I see the dark angels/Whose belongings weigh less than my carry-on case/Whose shelter for the night/Is some canvas on the road/Before pushed away.” This song is about the extreme differences between the rich and the poor of Los Angeles, the bright angels and the dark angels. It is one of my personal favorites. The song ends as it begins, with her voice supported by just bass. “For most of the people/A time of life isn’t enough.” Then “The Dark Blue Of Mine” has more of a country vibe, with lap steel. This track also features some really nice work by Johannes Mattsson on harmonica. “I fix my pillows, try to close my eyes/But I am just a child/Need water, one more hug, another story/Light? No, I want it dark/Want it dark, want it dark.”

The cello sets the mood at the beginning of “Early Morning Alleys,” gorgeously sad and contemplative, a lonesome tone putting us in the right frame of mine. For soon she sings, “Feeling the light breeze through the streets/As soon as I get off the train/The mist remains in the early morning alleys/Waiting for the sun to come.” She is alone, for the town is asleep, though the other musicians soon join her, creating a beautiful sound. This track features some pretty work on piano. Then “Two Feathers From An Eagle” begins with some whistling and gentle work on guitar. It is about a Native American acting as tour guide in Arizona. “So many of us/Together on the verge/We make a crowd/But in the all, we’re small, just so small.” There is a bit of whistling again before the end.

“Hibiscus Margaritas” has a serious tone, particularly in her vocals, and yet with a rather catchy element to the piano. “A beam is covering the main door/Beware of the dog/Grass growing through the pavement/Some stores are closing down/All cars that aren’t in the junk yard/Are heavy rumbling ‘round.” There is a haunting quality to her vocal delivery here. This track is another of the disc’s highlights. The album concludes with “On The Train Part II,” with a groove something like that of “Stray Cat Strut,” so I’m digging it immediately. Martin Holmlund plays contrabass on this one. Though what Su Andersson describes at first is at odds with this fun vibe: “Abandoned houses in high, pale grass/With camel colored cliffs just behind/Houses like sheds, like coaches/Made by rusty metal/Leaning to each other.” But soon the landscape changes, and she tells us, “The trees have turned into red/The kind of color that I love.”

CD Track List

1. For Roses And Rain
2. On The Train Part I
3. A Bunch Of Flowers In San Francisco
4. A Fisherman And His Son
5. The City Of Dark And Bright Angels
6. The Dark Blue Of Mine
7. Early Morning Alleys
8. Two Feathers From An Eagle
9. Hibiscus Margaritas
10. On The Train Part II

Train Stories was released on April 4, 2020. Then in July of 2022 she released Brave.