The Glass Child’s style and spirit will not be broken.
Charlotte Eriksson is ‘The Glass Child’. If you don’t know anything about this smashing, sensational singer/songwriter by now then you either aren’t familiar with this little blog, or you aren’t familiar with incredible rising talent. To say that this Glass Child is the next big thing is not an overstatement. It’s evident in her music. To say this young 20 year old is mature beyond her years, however, is an understatement. It’s clear to hear she’s so much more than that from her lyrics to the scoring, soaring sound of a talent that moved from her home in Sweden to London and started her own record label, putting out her own music when she was still a teenager.
That’s not the only amazing thing about this young lady. Take her last EP – the moniker self-titled The Glass Child – for example. From songs like the crazy, good Insanity to the secret, solitary, solo number I’ll Never Tell, this was a breakthrough success from the Glass Child that broke more new ground than a girl moving from country to country. Or how about her song for her nation in the inspiring support of I Will Lead You Home – a song that raised money for her home-country Sweden’s cancer organisation Ung Cancer in support of young victims. This was good enough to make the number 2 spot on the Swedish iTunes chart and is great enough for us all to lend a helping hand and download in support.
Now after giving so much, Eriksson is looking to take centre stage. This breakthrough indie artist of the year has just released her second EP titled This Is How Ghost’s Are Made, and it is one spirited, heaven-sent release. Taking inspiration from everyone from Björk to Paramore and the Counting Crows to Ben Harper, this incredible writer mixes Gothic stylings with lyrics from a songbook of beautiful language like no other. Take the atmospheric Tell The World. The opening lines “A journey on a a broken piece of glass/On my own in a town that has no soul/Learned how, to breathe alone,” draw you in like no other as you really get a feel and spirited sense of just how fragile but at the same time strong this young singer’s heart really is. As the song ends on the note “Like a soldier I resolve/I found a way on my own”, it’s evident that this strong-minded pioneer and innovator is ready to show us all just what she’s made of.
The great Best Part Of Me and the angelic harmonies of The Devil’s Sin show us exactly what she’s made of. Creative contrasts that are classically considered and not confused or conflicted. Charlotte blends the dark and the decedent, the light and the shadow, and the good and the bad all seamlessly into her lyrics and music and it all sounds so great. It all sounds so natural, not worked or hashed out, just her, honest, pure, genuine and spirited most highly. The real best this EP has to offer though is Hypnic Jerk, a beautiful ballad that shows just how good this artist’s brushes of songwriting and strokes of singing can be. As she laments “I’m too numb to feel you/I’m to numb to see you”, we feel and see someone who really is a talent of great depth and devotion.
The Glass Child is not another transparent young artist with a guitar, she’s someone baring her soul over acoustics for all those willing to see. Take a look now at someone who’s taken a different route to get to the mainstream and someone who’s going to shatter the notion that success is all about ‘industry’ or watered-down throwaway music. The Glass Child has broken through with some music of real depth for her fans to keep. This is how music is going to sound good again. ‘Ghost’s’ shows the makings of an icon, I believe.
