“Dagen Flyr” by Garmarna

Charging forward as if to take us by the hand and thrust us onto the frontlines of a battle we never knew we needed to fight, the rhythm of the instruments that comprise the fabric of “Dagen Flyr” is almost reason enough to give the song and its video all of your attention this season. Regardless of your native tongue, the vocal harmonies that adorn every beat in this track are inarguably just as attractive, but when taking into account that they were composed and performed entirely by Garmarna, the song’s pedigree should come as no surprise to anyone listening. 

URL: https://www.season-of-mist.com

Beyond the intriguing stomp of the drums, the singing creates a militaristic march into the ethers that I’ve loved since the moment I first listened to “Dagen Flyr” just a week ago. Garmarna are really good at taking otherwise impossibly potent elements and marrying them together in a somewhat neo-symphonic fashion, and if there were any remaining critics with the audacity to question the group’s skillset before hearing their latest release, I’ve got a mighty strong feeling they won’t be carrying on with the same opinion once they’ve let the track’s unfiltered allure come barreling through their speakers. 

The fragility of the lead vocal in this piece contrasts significantly with the forcefulness of the percussion, but I personally found this bit of juxtaposition to be the most important and endearing component of the song. We’re witnessing fire and ice clashing together rather violently here, but even when the tides are churning us with almost no consideration for the decadence of the harmonies, there’s never a moment in which Garmarna sound out of control or without command over the music they’re so seamlessly creating together. Their focus is very impressive, and perhaps the main reason they’ve been trending as much as they have lately. 

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/f%C3%B6rbundet/1502313901?i=1502314364&ign-gact=3&ls=1

An exotic and wonderfully adventurous pop treat that makes me hungry for more of their content soon, Garmarna’s “Dagen Flyr” doesn’t follow American pop conventions, but instead borrows from the genre’s best intricacies and incorporates them into an internationally-flavored juggernaut you need to hear for yourself. Whether you’re watching the video or listening to the track by itself, the feeling you’re going to walk away with will likely be the same; empowered, inspired, and very much in touch with the animalistic side of loud, proud music played by artists who know how to do it better than anyone else in their scene. 

Mindy McCall