Sven-Erik Olsen has been in and out of Minneapolis bands for the last 20 years or so. He's written for the theater, and in general he seems to be living out the artistic b-side dream. That is, servicing his need to create while holding down a real job and dealing with real life. Just like most of the folks I write about, actually.

Sven-Erik Olsen Sketchbook Traces (self-released)

This is his first "solo" album, though he does bring in a few friends from old bands to help out. The sound is a deft take on the dreamy mid-to-late 60s pop sound. Olsen drops in plenty of anachronisms, which keeps this from being simply an academic exercise in Brian Wilson worship. He is quite adept at molding a familiar sound to his sensibilities.

The production is old-fashioned, dropping in plenty of reverb and depth. In fact, I think the sound of this album is truer to Olsen's influences than the content of his actual songs. He ranges afield when writing, but the sound stays aligned with his aspiration.

I'm quite happy Olsen went into his basement and started the process of creating this album. He's got a real feel for this sound, and he's not afraid to drop in something that is a bit incongruent. Those "odd" ideas are what makes this album so charming.

Jon Worley