Arn-Identified Flying Objects and Alien Friends does not waste a single note. That's the first thing you hear. The second one is the sense of honesty it evokes. Not ground down into something safe. Just honest, like music from real experience. The song was born out of a personal experience. It's an homage to his children and grandchildren, but it also takes him back to his childhood. This time-variedness imparts a special kind of ache. Love and loss, not fighting for space,
Backing vocals from David Myhr are truly warm and reminiscent of the great harmony pop of a bygone era, but not an imitation. With an organic looseness, nothing too neat, nothing too careful, Andreas Quincy Dahlbäck plays drums. It breathes. Myhr also plays hammond, and the whole combination is thoughtfully arranged and natural.
The voice is near to you. Simple, relaxed, and nonchalant. That's not a restriction. That's what it's all about. He has faith in the song, and the song doesn't let him down. His delivery of these words is deeply affecting. He never tries to evoke emotion or to over-emphasize. Rather, he allows the melody and the phrasing to take center stage. That way the song feels confident and relaxed. Nothing feels forced. Nothing feels overstated. The outcome is a performance that will take you further in, not further out.
After a few listens, what is most striking is how this music demands nothing and yet asks so much of you. It just beckons you to come in. The song have that classic pop songwriting warmth, but the warmth is his. Bells of Silver is a very special song. It's the result of a long journey, albums and singles, a career of care and craft. This song is the sweetest for all of that. And somehow, it stays with you long after listening.
