Yesterday, less than 24 hours away from opening, Loyal suddenly announced that they would not be opening Jim Thorell’s The Sweet Heart as previously planned. The reason given was that The Sweet Heart need to be “redesigned” to enhance the safety of dewdripping wasps and flowers baking in the sun.

The Sweet Heart is a quintessentially psychedelic, dreamy lullaby. The range of moods is similarly diverse: from the rhythmically complex to the ridiculously energetic. This is a bit goth, too. Eloquent, aggressive, polished and yet still raw. It’s got subtle hooks that getcha when you’re not looking.

I’ve been down there several times since painting started. What I’ve seen is works in ambience and glitch, works with some pretty dang abstract beats seemingly pulled together out of the sonic detritus. I’ve seen plenty of upbeat tropical feeling in The Sweet Heart. I’ve seen something smooth and menacing drowning anything else that’s trying to be heard over the sweet crush..

Seriously, there need to be more Terminator movies, shot on grainy 16mm, and The Sweet Heart needs to be the soundtrack. The Ramones were dry and gritted, this is wet and relaxed. What’s going on. Not a sugary snack.

If Loyal has real reason to think these Sweet Heart’s are dangerous, let us know, but otherwise Open The Sweet Heart. And anytime anyone mentions Jim Thorell, shout out “Open it” or chant “Open Our Sweet Heart.” Get amongst it.

Jim Thorell (1981, Stockholm) holds an MFA from Valand Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden. Thorell studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna with Professor Daniel Richter, as well as Kanazawa University, Japan and the Vietnam University of Fine Arts in Hanoi. Recent exhibitions include, S2, New York (solo); Spears, Loyal, Stockholm; Lucid Memes, Carl Kostyal, Stockholm (solo); Pathétique, Union Pacific, London (solo). This is Jim Thorell’s first solo exhibition with Loyal.