Daniel Johansson and Jaokim Sveningsson are two guys who make music. They do this together, and they call it Friska Viljor (call it ‘strong willed’ if you’re English). Following the trail of adoration from their last UK release, their latest album ‘The Beginning of the Beginning of the End‘ is all set to get sailin’ out to your ears come April, and in light of this, clear some space in your audio harbour for a slice of Swedish power-pop. Why? Because it’s awesome.
The album opens with a steady stampede of pure optimism pouring from the lead track “Larionov” – it will tell your mind that you should not, under any circumstances – any at all – be sitting still. Be warned: a cheeky tap of the foot, at least, is inevitable. As the album progresses in a swirl of eclectic percussion, elusive electronica, the odd fanfare and some delicious vocals, you’re swept away in a subtly strange collision of moods that multiply and ascend with each new song sprung upon you. With soaring harmonies and melodies that just seep into your mind, the genre-bending duo have crafted a sound comparable to Arcade Fire, yet they maintain a tangible essence of something truly unique.
The quirky, catchy undertones in every track keep a bemusing kind of smile taped onto your face, even as the lyrics approach rather more tender matters of the heart, as in ‘Come On‘, the second track from the album; “…and I like when I cry/ I go up to see the tears that’s falling down from my eyes” – amalgamating that one bundle of words with such lovely vocal strains creates something wonderfully endearing, and makes for some pretty sweet listening.
The album as a whole takes you a-strolling down a rainbow road, only to find yourself swimming through a sad little sea, and then right through the centre of a smile. It’s rare to find a pair who can carry you from one mood to another with such a pleasing sense of schizophrenia. To be brief, and to elude any more metaphors, they make smiles and sadness fit together just right. From buoyant orchestral highs to the most melodic of come-downs, the album is like an all-you-can-eat for your ears; most certainly wholesome.
‘The Beginning of the Beginning of the End‘ is available for download on Monday 11th April.
(Alisha Riley)
