How good is the current Swedish music scene? Robyn, The Knife, Jose Gonzalez, The Hives, Lykke Li, Miike Snow, and First Aid Kit are just some of the gifted artists that make up the bubbling cauldron of Nordic musical goodness. Now, it looks like we have another name to add to the list: Stockholm-based Sailor & I.
The brainchild of Alexander Sjodin, Sailor & I formed early last year and released a number of singles, none more compelling than "Tough Love," set to feature on the EP of the same name. But from what I can gather (there isn't a heap of information floating around on the band), the EP was pushed back and the song disappeared from SoundCloud, with YouTube being the only way to listen. Fast forward to today, and "Tough Love" is finally back online in an official capacity, and boy has the wait been worth it.
Think Bon Iver with an orchestral twang and you'll be on the right path -- but it's Sjodin's heartbreaking lyrics about a failing relationship that really hit home. You can hear the hurt in Sjodin's voice as he lays his soul bear with the aching chorus of "it's not getting better, it's not getting any easier, I never thought I'd become so cold inside."
Depressingly beautiful.