Sweetheart - “The Dark”
Photo: David B. Torch
Norwegian duo Sweetheart return to us with “The Dark,” a stripped-back and melancholic morsel of folksy sound. The tune was originally released on vinyl, but has been rerecorded to be included on a double-sided single alongside “I Remember December.”
“The Dark” begins quite cinematically with a distant, sorrowful drone before making room for the moody strums of an acoustic guitar. The ambience of the arrangement is rather somber, comprising the perfect backdrop for the vocals to emerge.
The lyrics enter your ears in a raw, solemn manner– honest and authentic as they lead you down the path of heavy introspection. On the refrain, we are met with a delicate vocal harmony, and although the arrangement maintains a sparse course, the additional voice adds a substantial width that will surely bring you back for multiple listens.
Ear candy arrives by way of some glorious lap steel, reverberating and ghostly as it spans the entire soundscape. The keys of a piano become more and more prominent as “The Dark” rolls on, with some delicate notes from a cello rising to the surface. Sweetheart have once again completely won us over with this emotionally-driven performance.
Both “The Dark” and “I Remember December” are available everywhere you get music, and we highly suggest pressing play asap, as well as taking a swim in all of their previous releases.
-HD