Anna von Hausswolff – Iconoclasts

For the uninitiated, Anna von Hausswolff is an experimental musician hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden. On her five previous albums, from 2010’s Singing From The Grave up to 2020’s All Thoughts Fly, von Hausswolff has pretty much stayed in her niche little realm, a world dominated by antiquated pipe organs, wailing vocals, and a general sense of doom and foreboding. She also managed to offend some Catholic groups along the way, which resulted in the cancellation of some church-based performances in late 2021.

Given her minor notoriety, the title of her latest work, Iconoclasts, could easily be interpreted in a religious sense. However, things are rarely so straightforward in the world of Anna von Hausswolff. If she is breaking free of anything on Iconoclasts, it is far more likely to be the shackles of convention and expectation: this is von Hausswolff’s bold artistic leap towards something resembling pop music.

Of course, if you approach Iconoclasts expecting something along the lines of Carly Rae Jepsen or Dua Lipa, you’re going to be profoundly disappointed—or completely blown away. It’s not ‘pop’ in the traditional sense—there’s still plenty of pipe organ, for one thing—but in the moments where Iconoclasts truly catches fire, of which there are several, Anna von Hausswolff sounds like an art-pop phenomenon in waiting.

“Stardust” is simply one of the best songs I’ve heard all year, a soaring gothic pop epic propelled into the stratosphere by a shuffling, off-kilter beat, menacing bassline, and von Hausswolff’s relentless vocal. And just when you think it has peaked, jazz saxophonist Otis Sandsjö (a recurring presence on Iconoclasts) pops up with a frantic solo, elevating “Stardust” further still, to its spectacular climax.

Sandsjö is granted a starring role on “Struggle with the Beast,” an exhausting cacophony of exhilarating saxophone, crashing drums, and sombre organ. It’s another highlight.

Throughout Iconoclasts, von Hausswolff proves to be a generous collaborator. Ethel Cain (“Ageing Young Woman”), Abul Mogard (“An Ocean of Time”), and sister, Maria von Hausswolff (the tender ballad, “Unconditional Love”) all make stellar contributions, but the most distinctive and impactful guest of all is Iggy Pop on “The Whole Woman”. Pop’s deep croon provides an odd counterpoint to von Hausswolff’s reverb-drenched vocal, but like everything on this majestic album, it just works.

Iconoclasts has everything I look for in new music. It is intelligent, thrilling, unique, and endlessly replayable—challenging, yes, but always worth the effort. Anna von Hausswolff has made an album of experimental pop bangers with the most unconventional raw ingredients. This is her Hounds of Love, her Brat. Yes, it’s that good.

Iconoclasts is out now via Year0001.