“Some do magic, some do harm…” sings the vocoderly-enhanced Karin Dreijer Andersson on the track I’m Not Done, which acts as a sufficient introduction to her beautiful, peculiar music.

For anyone unfamiliar with Karin Dreijer Andersson; she’s what Kate Bush would sound like if she were a morose, malfunctioning Swedish robot. She is also one half of the electro-doom-pop brother/sister duo The Knife, whose 2006 album Silent Shout is regarded by many (including moi) to be one the most beguiling and addictive albums of recent years.

Fever Ray then, Karin’s solo project, wisely navigates the dark paths of Silent Shout, while giving the album enough of its own persona to send it on a refreshing, occasionally uplifting direction. In truth, it’s pretty darn wondrous.

Anyone who found The Knife’s last full-length too aggressive or dense to truly love may find Fever Ray to be a (slightly) lighter and more accessible affair. Not that Fever Ray at any point compromises on its beautifully creepy vision. Karin’s trademark ethereal vocals (both with and without the vocoder) still linger eerily among her innocent, child-like lyrics – lost in a landscape of mechanical blips and uneasy keyboards… yet there’s a hope to Fever Ray that has been missing perhaps from Karin’s other musical outfit.

First track and subsequent single If I Had A Heart recalls Massive Attack’s Special Cases or more recently, various tracks from Portishead’s Third – with its pulsating underpinnings and shadowy tone, it sounds less like a song, and more like a warning.

Fortunately though, the album’s mood shifts to lighter moments such as Seven and When I Was Young, displaying the purity and cordiality that is often concealed in the music.

It’s worth noting that; in the digital age and sale of the physical release declining, it seems album artwork is becoming a increasingly overlooked art form, which is a shame as Fever Ray’s album cover – reminiscent of the stark black and whites of cartoonist Charles Burns – is a cover that accurately conveys the mood and theme of its stuffing.

Where bands such as M83 / Crystal Castles / Air France / Cut Copy et al have successfully resurrected the synth-pop of the 1980s in recent years, Fever Ray and The Knife make a conscious effort to steer their synth-ships to darker territory. And there are few folk creating music as pretty as this.

- Listen to Fever Ray at Klicktrack.