Marking our first encounter with Swedish troubadour Vargen, ‘Sad Song’ introduces us to the talented artist’s nocturnal, gritty aural universe, a wholesome and heartwarming place where blues and rock influences are distilled into an indie-flavoured contemporary package. Yet, the keen observer will likely perceive a hint of nostalgia, a component that more than likely stems from Vargen’s longstanding experience in the music industry. He is, in fact, known as a Bob Dylan interpreter…
That very precise and fun information makes a lot of sense when compared with Vargen’s deep and muddy vocals, quite sombre and raw at times, but also capable of expressivity and nuance, when required. Known by day as Reine Johansson, the rising creative is enjoying a seemingly fertile spell, with ‘Sad Song’ following up on the previously released ‘Lucy 9th Floor’. From an aural standpoint, the latest single finds its overarching influences in country-rock allure, on track with current Scandinavian trends.
Delving deeper into the record, Vargen explains: “‘Sad Song’ accepts that not everything resolves neatly, and lets that be. The song was allowed to grow over time, and the arrangement finally fell into place through the interplay between Mats ‘MP’ Persson’s guitar work and the backing vocals.” There’s a Macbeth-inspired music video set to be released shortly. Look out for it!
Recommended! Discover ‘Sad Song’ now: