Fine Glindvad Jensen, known by her mononymous moniker Fine, is a Danish singer-songwriter, composer and producer spearheading Copenhagen’s place in the musical zeitgeist. Known for her ethereal vocals and meticulous production, Fine’s music is imbued with a deep sense of reverie.
Fine is something of a musical Proteus: a shapeshifter taking on many sonic forms. Both a founding member of electro-folk outfit CHINAH and half of the elusive The Crying Nudes alongside Dean Blunt, she has also dipped her toes into mainstream pop, writing for K-pop sensation NewJeans.
For those familiar with the Danish scene, it will be no surprise that Fine is an alumnus of Copenhagen’s esteemed Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium (RMC). For those who aren’t familiar, imagine The Windmill’s abundant yield of post-punk-resurgence bands on dreampop steroids. RMC’s alumni boast the likes of ML Buch, Henriette Motzfeldt of Smerz, Erika de Casier and Astrid Sonne.
The luminaries of the RMC scene have carved out something of a new genre. Described with plenty of alt- and post- prefixes, the Copenhagen style weaves folk, pop, shoegaze and experimental sounds together. It was within this emerging scene that Fine produced her dreamy debut ‘Rocky Top Ballads’ in 2024. Building from the soundscape of her previous album, ‘Jazz dreams’ adds a diversified palette, leaning into jazz, country and classical influences.
The album opens with ‘The thing’, a track soaked in noir melodies and brooding textures. The offbeat piano hook sits somewhere between swing and ska - a few shades different to her previous album’s ethereal synth opener ‘Coasting’, but equally as captivating. The rhythm of the track is disciplined by a metronome; despite this regularity, there’s something unpredictable about the arrangement.
Fine settles back into her signature dreampop sound in the hazy ‘If you wanna come down’. The airy tremolo strings and reverbed vocals create a hypnagogic soundscape. Fine sings “Just breathe with me / Breathe with me” as her lyrics spiral downwards, consciousness melts away, and thoughts obscure.
This drowsy state ushers in ‘I could’. Released as the lead single, the track is sultry, alluring and clearly the pièce de résistance. The rhythmic bass underscores the track, allowing shoegaze to collide (or perhaps collude) with slacker-rock downstrokes. Fine’s gauzy vocals sing “I could drink you gold and strong / Make you feel like a Rolling Stone”.
Like the period between wake and sleep, consciousness dissipates until something jolts you back into reality. This was much the effect of ‘Goodbye brain’, an alt-country-meets-jangle-rock ditty. The James Jamerson-esque bassline tows the piece, while ephemeral strings add sporadic texture.
Fine decelerates but holds onto her country influences in ‘Moment’. There’s something particularly Americana about the track - a fitting accompaniment to sitting on a veranda somewhere in Mississippi or Georgia. The guitar motif even has a Southern drawl, much akin to Starflyer 59’s 1997 ‘You Think You’re Radical’.
The album ends with ‘Much to say’; bursting with seventh chords, the track establishes an ostensibly jazz feel. Fine’s vocals snake between the stacked piano harmonies and sauntering bass, echoing a cabaret style. A piano glissando kicks in, and suddenly it’s pure camp. It seems Fine has occupied the role of chanteuse. She sings “The sky keeps falling down in your room / The moon keeps hanging new to you” - her voice floats down the descending melisma of “new” like a feather. As it reaches the ground, the track is over.
If ‘Rocky Top Ballads’ was a dream state, ‘Jazz dreams’ is the interim before sleep is reached. Fine’s flirtation with varying genres mirrors the fragmented sentience experienced between waking and sleeping. In these moments, the brain wanders, much like Fine’s music, into unpredictable territories - hazy and blurred. For fans of dream-like soundscapes, infusions of eclectic genres and getting lost in the liminal, ‘Jazz dreams’ is a must-listen.
Maya Silk
Image: 'Jazz dreams' Official Album Cover