The Miraculous

Anna von Hausswolff - The Miraculous
Critic Score
Based on 14 reviews
2015 Ratings: #144 / 1021
User Score
Based on 151 ratings
2015 Rank: #184
Liked by 17 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
Loud and Quiet
Brooding, epic, and utterly captivating then; the Dark Side has never sounded so appealing.
85
The 405

Ceremony may have easily conquered the sophomore slump, but The Miraculous is the moment where von Hausswolff truly arrives as an artist.

80
Drowned in Sound

Perhaps, if you are already aware of her work on Ceremony, then The Miraculous will not be a surprise to you. But if you have not, then it may well be a complete revelation.

80
musicOMH
There’s no denying this is a heavy record, not at all easy going mood music you’d lightly slap on whilst performing menial tasks. But the mix of gentle moments of reflection amongst muscular foreboding sounds save it from being overly doom-laden. And the fact remains, it is a genuinely exciting listen.
80
AllMusic

As a composer, singer, and sound sculptor, Hausswolff is in full control on The Miraculous, balancing harshness and intimacy, heaviness and airy melancholy. It's an uncompromising view, but it's also welcoming.

80
The Skinny

From the epic, opening incantations of Discovery to the title track's disquieting requiem, The Miraculous delivers enough minor miracles to make believers of us all.

80
The Guardian
The Swedish singer-songwriter’s brooding and intense third album of folky drone-metal is anchored by a 9,000-pipe organ, and centred on folk tales once told to Von Hausswolff by her parents.
80
Uncut
Majestic, gothic third album from Swedish composer.
80
Mojo
Factor in crushing doom metal dynamics, eerie melodies and the Gothenburg-raised, Copenhagen-dwelling von Hausswolff's multi-octave, seductive banshee of a voice and the result speaks with an undeniable power.
80
GIGsoup

It constantly surprises by throwing in new sounds and styles with every song, which is wonderful, but it also makes it quite difficult to stick into a genre.

80
The Observer
Part banshee-voiced member of a witches’ coven, part Sweden’s highbrow answer to Mogwai, Anna von Hausswolff is a genuine one-off.
78
Pitchfork
For her third album, the Swedish singer and multi-instrumentalist Anna von Hausswolff made a pilgrimage to the city of Piteå, home to the Acusticum Pipe Organ. The collection transforms the instrument, regarded by many as one of the stuffiest in music, into a lusty, lustrous marvel.
60
DIY
Those looking to take a journey through Swedish folklore that’s off the beaten track would do well explore the epic landscapes of ‘The Miraculous’.
60
The Needle Drop
Sweden's Anna von Hausswolff expands her sound into experimental and progressive rock on her latest album of atmospheric organ dirges.
sslumpgod
62

Has some of her most interesting ideas to date but the execution is not as good. The heavier part of this album is awesome but didnt really get its shine. She should have gone a little darker and noisyer on this album but im ok with the outcome.

best songs: discovery, pomperipossa, Come wander with me / deliverance, the miraculous, stranger, en ensam vandrare

JayCrackers
81

A great suspenseful release by Anna Von Hausswolff, trying honing in on that cold an d dissonant sound via just the pure ambient and drone mixed with ethereal wave and unleashing it with some of the most impressive moments in her career, this wild noisy heavier parts which are absolutely breathtaking

Track Review

Discovery 9/10
The Hope Only of Empty Men 8.5/10.
Pomperipossa 7.5/10.
Come Wander with Me / Deliverance 8.5/10.
En Ensam Vandrare 7.5/10.
An Oath 7/10
Evocation 8/10
The ... read more

gm1806
83

A heavier but still delightful release from Anna von Hausswolff. Inspired by a place from her childhood and the book "Källan" by Walter Ljungquist, Anna made an album based on stories where she is searching for an answer between fantasy and reality. Here she uses a 9,000-pipe organ that includes several instruments, giving a rich atmosphere. The record begins as a hurricane until it slows down in the second half. Even though this causes the album to be a bit tiring, especially on ... read more

93

I love Anna style, her voice is so blissful, her music style is really suited for my taste

69

There are some painfully loose ends in the tracklisting unfortunately

gm1806
83

A heavier but still delightful release from Anna von Hausswolff. Inspired by a place from her childhood and the book "Källan" by Walter Ljungquist, Anna made an album based on stories where she is searching for an answer between fantasy and reality. Here she uses a 9,000-pipe organ that includes several instruments, giving a rich atmosphere. The record begins as a hurricane until it slows down in the second half. Even though this causes the album to be a bit tiring, especially on ... read more

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Added on: August 24, 2015