Susanne Sundfør announces new album ‘blómi,’ shares “alyosha” and “leikara ljóð”

Norwegian artist Susanne Sundfør has announced a new album, blómi, due out April 28 via Bella Union. It's her first since 2017's Music For People In Trouble, and it was inspired by Susanne's daughter and her experience as a new mother, as well as her grandfather's academic work in linguistics--"blómi" means "to bloom" in Norse. “I want this album to be an antidote to the darkness that dominates our culture today. I want to show that there’s another way to see reality, if one dares to take the leap of hoping for a more beautiful world,” Susanne says.

The first two singles from blómi are "alyosha" and "leikara ljóð." The former is a sprawling anthem with lyrics celebrating optimism and seeking joy in a challenging world; the latter is striking in its art-folk arrangement, layering Susanne's voice in satisfying harmony over echoing hand claps and bells and closing with a solo fiddle. Listen to both songs and check out the artwork and tracklist for blómi below.

blómi Tracklisting
1. orð vǫlu
2. ashera's song
3. blómi
4. rūnā
5. fare thee well
6. leikara Ijóð
7. alyosha
8. Tracṣānnu yārru lī
9. náttsǫngr
10. orð hjartans
11. klist