Yahoo! Music Review

Released on 12/05/08
Label: RCA

Norwegian born, Sweden resident Ida (pronounced Eee-da) Maria is, apparently, a self-styled nihilist. Back in the counter-culture heydays of the late '60s and '70s that meant rejecting all religious and moral principles and harbouring a radical and deep-seated belief that life was fundamentally meaningless. Now, according to "Queen Of The World", it means being a bit of a slacker who likes nothing better than to drink to oblivion and sing-along at the top of your voice to Pogues records.

Her Scandinavian lilt might lend her voice a certain kookiness which has in turn given rise to a rash of premature Bjork comparisons, but in reality this is more a good night at an Irish theme pub than the birth of a musical marvel. And as such it's a suitably rousing, boozy and punky knees-up, fine to fall into the gutter to after consuming your own body weight in Bacardi Breezers. Come the cold light of day though, it's generic at best.

    by Dan Gennoe