Selma Savolainen - In The Shade (2026)

One of the challenges facing the contemporary artist is how to negotiate a balance between an outward facing engagement with the wider world and an inward looking focus on a private inner realm. It’s exactly this tension that gives such energy and depth to in the shade, the stunning second album from Finnish singer/composer Selma Savolainen. “The title came from a day when I was trying to write in a sun-lit apartment in Paris. I felt like the sun was sort of like checking on me every day. Like are you doing the job? Are you busy? And I felt that I was taking part in a conversation between inside and outside.” Selma’s powerful voice and her adventurous musicality are the driving forces behind a mesmerizing set of songs that are rooted in contemporary jazz but use a sound-world that ranges far beyond, bringing in influences from the adventurous edges of post-rock and beyond. Selma’s lyrics explore powerful themes of identity, belonging and personal agency, with her clear-toned, expressive voice leading the way, ranging from intimate whisper to searing emotional outpouring. Each song is brought vividly to life by the extraordinary creativity of her band. Trumpeter Tomi Nikku and multi-reed specialist Max Zenger provide textural backing and melodic improvisation: Toomas Keski-Säntti deploys a range of different keyboards to expand the vocabulary: the bass and drum team of Eero Tikkanen and Okko Saastamoinen expertly control the dynamics. The sense of fellowship between the players - all long-time friends as well as bandmates - adds a feeling of playful spontaneity that lightens the mood even in the music’s darkest moments.

Each song deals with a very different situation, yet themes of identity and belonging thread through them all. ‘Last Summer’ uses a snarling, heavily distorted Wurlitzer and insistent groove to tell a story of responsibilities and missed opportunities that morphs unexpectedly into a heavy, Radiohead-style coda. ‘Your Eyes’ draws on the presence of a maternal figure, portrayed with eerie poise and calm reflection, building into a stunning trumpet solo from Tomi Nikku. “Tomi has such a wonderful clear sound, and he’s just the sweetest guy, and him and Max have this deep, intuitive relationship when they play together.” The album’s centerpiece is the epic 10-minute magnum opus of ‘Lamb’ that moves though a range of moods and textures to deliver Selma’s heartfelt meditations contrasting the innocence of childhood contrasted with the dangers of different forms of fanaticism. By contrast, ‘Angry Man’ uses a portentous, urgent groove to tell a story of the way public and private interactions spill over in the age of social media, opening out into a free-ranging keyboard solo from Toomas Keski-Säntti that recalls The Doors at their most compelling. Selma herself plays piano on the hushed, intense ballad ‘House’, spelling out further meditations on the mother-child relationship, that merges into the quirky ‘Lie’ with its entirely original mix of jazz inflections and Kate Bush inspired theatrics . Finally, the title track ‘In The Shade’ moves at stately pace from the opening vocal and bass duet through intricate horn parts and some mesmerizing improvisations from all the participants.

‘in the shade’ is the work of an artist fearlessly moving forward, developing her own unique voice, unafraid to tackle serious themes and creating adventurous, ambitious musical settings in which to explore them. At the same time, the deep friendship and trust between all the players comes across in the audible excitement and playfulness of the performances, creating an interplay of light and shade that captures the attention at every moment.

Selma Savolainen – vocals
Tomi Nikku – trumpet, flugelhorn
Max Zenger – clarinets, flute
Toomas Keski-Säntti – piano, electric pianos
Eero Tikkanen – double bass
Okko Saastamoinen – drums