Swedish folk rock veterans Garmarna are seasoned storytellers by this point, employing their style of traditional music to tell tales as old as time. As with “Ramunder” and “Två Systrar,” these tales are far from the dainty fairy tales some of us grew up with, but this latest yarn is a dreadful one indeed, as the band’s newest track “Dagen Flyr” centers around growing old and passing away.
Says the band about the new single:
“This song goes way back. We’ve played it live for nearly twenty years or so, and to finally release it feels less like a reveal and more as if we are putting something right. Being a choral from the Swedish speaking parts of Estonia, the lyrics concern old age, a goodbye to life and a welcome of sorts to the inevitable death. Obviously, we didn’t really treat it as something as sombre. Rather, Stefan came up with a very catchy violin-tune and once we paired the vocal part with the instrumental, everything else pretty much played out by itself. Arranging a Garmarna tune can often be a painful and stretched out process but not in this instance. Bass riff, drums, some acoustic guitars – done and dusted!”
Though the subject matter can be painful and contemplative, Garmarna make it sound beautiful and wrenching all at once. Compared to their previous singles, this track is peppier and more upbeat, an ironic feature given what we’re dealing with. It’s a celebration rather than sorrowful, a rock-forward song as opposed to something more folk-based or regional. The violins sing along the instrumental sections, with Emma Härdelin’s voice remaining driving, yet a tad mournful.
The band’s new album Förbundet drops November 6th via Season of Mist. Pre-order it here.
See the video for the melancholy “Dagen Flyr” below:
Commenti