Halfway between Big Thief’s folk reveries and SZA’s gossamer indie-R&B lies Kendra Egerbladh, the Stockholm-based, Sub Pop-signed artist making music as Waterbaby (not to be confused with the south London electronic duo of the same name). A rising star in her native Sweden, where she was awarded a scholarship at last year’s Music Publishers awards, Waterbaby makes music that is funny, heartfelt and intimate, cramming earworm hooks into warped bedroom pop production. Her debut EP, Foam, arrives on a wave of hype that’s been slowly rising over the past few years. Before she had even released a song of her own, Waterbaby had guested on popular tracks by Swedish alt-pop luminary Seinabo Sey and folk singer Hannes.
Not much is known about Egerbladh – she’s only done one brief interview, a double-header with Hannes – but she has something of a musical pedigree: her grandfather was a jazz pianist, and her uncle was a concert promoter. (She’s also done hair and makeup on a smattering of Sey’s music videos.) Even if music runs in her blood, though, it’s the nontraditional elements of Waterbaby’s work that set her apart. On 911, a highlight of Foam, she turns her imitation of an emergency-services siren into one of the year’s most infectious and surprisingly touching hooks. Her music may be low-key, but Waterbaby has star power in spades.
