Review FILIPPA NÄSSIL “American Diaries”

Filippa Nässil is known as the founder and guitarist of Thundermother. She started the band in 2009 and celebrated some success with the group. This achievement didn’t come easily, as the band went through a lineup change in 2017, followed by another one last year. It seems that the regrouping didn’t affect the music as the albums entered the charts and a tour with German metal veterans Scorpions was certainly one of the highlights.

While on the road with the metal legends touring North America, Nässil found some time to write lyrics on off days. With the lyrics in hand, the guitarist booked Lemon Recording Studio and wrote the music within a month after returning to Sweden.

The result of her efforts is now available under the banner of “American Diaries” and it is, what the title of the longplayer suggests. The solo album has little to do with the roaring hard rock we all know from the musical mothership. Instead, the album features songs that reflect rock, blues and folk, starting with “Richmond, Virginia”. Listening to these songs is like following a road trip diary with stories that happened along the way.

The bluesy “Buddy Guy’s Blues” stands out as a highlight. While being in Chicago, Nässil had the chance to visit the blues idol and was even invited to his 86th birthday party. The song was inspired by this special experience, and Buddy Guy’s son Greg Guy is the special guest on this melancholic swinging blues song.

More lively is “Green Fields of Nappa,” a gently rocking song about getting high while stopping at a winery for lunch. Sunny California vibes are the driving force behind “San Francisco”, while folk music is the inspiration behind “Texas Bar”.

All in all the album contains six songs, and since there is an English and a Swedish version of each song, we are looking at a track list of twelve songs. “American Diaries” shows a different musical side of Filippa Nässil and at the same time takes the listener on an acoustic road trip through the USA. This album comes with a sense of ease and that’s what makes it special and different. It’s a perfect soundtrack for a lazy Sunday afternoon with some free time to daydream.