MÅRTEN LÄRKA Den vackra systern
MÅRTEN LÄRKA Den vackra systern is available on Spotify, Tidal, Deezer
by Walter Price
Mårten Lärka & the Gang’s ode to Swedish poet Stig Dagerman, “Två dagar om året – Mårten Lärka spelar Stig Dagerman“, is finally on the streets and, with no hyperbole, it’s one of the most outlandishly beautiful and avant-garde tributes to an artist that may only exist in the periphery for many passive pop fans.
About the album, translated from Swedish, Lärka offers some backstory, “On October 5 this year, Stig Dagerman would have turned 100 years old. If you’ve written Burnt Barn, The Serpent, German Autumn, Island of the Damned, Night’s Games, and hundreds of daily newspapers, you almost have yourself to blame. Suddenly, a wayward indie troubadour comes and makes library-rock out of everything.”
Yes, yes, “Library-Rock”! Eureka!
Mårten Lärka has promised to release a slew of music videos to add visual context to many of the tracks on the album. Today, at the GTC, we’ll share the opening track, “Den vackra systern” (“The Beautiful Sister” whose lyrics are taken first page of the novel “Bränt barn” (“A Burnt Child“).
MÅRTEN LÄRKA Den vackra systern
Cover photo via YouTube // Quote via Wiki
Recording: Tambourine Studios, Malmö by Joar Sylvan
Mastering by Jonas Siöström at Dynamic Audio
Bass: Lars Ohlsson
Drums: Martin Hellquist
Wurlitzer piano: Albin Johansson
Guitar, vocal, and harmonica: Mårten Lärka
Video production: Banana Boys
Music label: COMEDIA & M.OTION SONGS
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A Burnt Child: “Set in a working-class neighborhood in Stockholm, the story revolves around a young man named Bengt who falls into deep, private turmoil with the unexpected death of his mother. As he struggles to cope with her loss, his despair slowly transforms to rage when he discovers his father had a mistress. But as Bengt swears revenge on behalf of his mother’s memory, he also finds himself drawn into a fevered and conflicted relationship with this woman – a turn that causes him to question his previous faith in morality, virtue, and fidelity.” – Wiki