aaamusic | On 27, Feb 2011

With a sound that matches the melodic whimsy of ELO and the musical power of Gogol Bordello, Stockholm two-piece Friska Viljor ready their latest power pop masterpiece.

In English Friska Viljor means strong willed and ‘The Beginning of the Beginning of the End’ is testament to this. A triumphant reinvigoration of guitar pop that firmly snatches melodies from the pop charts and dresses them in denim dungarees and leather jackets the album is a fanfare Arcade Fire would salute.
Lead track ‘Larionov‘ marches with a skip joy whereas Passionseeker pairs the immediacy of Thin Lizzy guitar hooks with the laid back pop. Recorded in Stockholm after a three-month writing break in Berlin, the album captures both the epic cold of Scandinavian winters and the thawing harmonies of California sunrises. Friska Viljor’s music has that ability to partner optimism with sadness in a way only musicians who live with 24 hour sun and 24 hour darkness can express.
A chart topping act in Europe, their last UK album, ‘Bravo!’, received critical adoration from The Sunday Times, Rocksound, The Word and Uncut, as well as spins from BBC Radio’s Gideon Coe and Radcliffe and Maconie shows. Co-member Daniel also produced last years critically acclaimed Concretes disco opus, ‘WYWH’, making Friska Viljor Sweden’s most respected and treasured pop outfit.
Their UK sophomore album ‘The Beginning of the Beginning of the End’ is available digitally from iTunes on Monday 11 April. The full band will be over for a showcase performance at the Shepherds Bush Hall on Thursday 21 April.

Upcoming Shows:
21 April ’11 – London at the Shepherds Bush Hall