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SIR WAS

Swedish multi-instrumentalist Joel Wästberg’s third album as sir Was following 2019’s “Holding On To A Dream”.

Meditating on love, growth, self-acceptance, forgiveness, mortality and the passing of time, after realized a terminal health condition leaving him prone to strokes; “Let The Morning Come” contains his most candid writing to date. And yet, for all the heartache that comes with being cruelly confronted with one’s own mortality, the prevailing impression Wästberg leaves listeners with is one of hope, resulting in a collection that is life-affirming in the very truest sense.

An artist renowned for conjuring dreamy melodies from unconventional arrangements, the album draws on the luxurious sounds of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”, and utilizes an eclectic palette that encompasses complex polyrhythms, Medieval recorder harmonies and the languid sigh of a second hand Hammond organ. Wästberg sought to condense his songwriting, with the aim of evoking the immediacy of the music of his youth.

Lyrically too, time is of the essence, as displayed in song titles like “Waiting For The Weekend”, “Before The Morning Comes”, “I Don’t Think We Should Wait” and “Time To Let It Out”.

sir Was, praised initially by Stones Throw Records founder Peanut Butter Wolf, has received support around the world with multiple plays on BBC 6 Music & BBC Radio 1, KCRW, Radio Nova, Radio Eins and more. Alongside this, he has performed and collaborated with Little Dragon, Efterklang’s Clasper Clausen, Falle Nioke (on the recent collaborative “Marasi” EP) and Junip, as well as performing at Eurosonic, Mad Cool and Benicassim Festivals.


STAFF COMMENTS

Millie says: Dreamy melodies and sensitive electronic beats, if Sir Was aim was to evoke nostalgia then it worked perfectly, it’s taken me right back. Definitely check this out if you like Foals, Tame Impala, it’s that kind of vibe but more toned down… just Indie music at it’s best.

TRACK LISTING

Hope We’ll Make It Through
I Need A Minute
Spend A Lifetime
Before The Morning Comes
One Day
I Don’t Think We Should Wait
Waiting For The Weekend
You Float
I Wanna Feel Like That
Time To Let It Out

The new album from Joel Wästberg a.k.a sir Was, “Holding on To a Dream”, is a mesmerising twisting of genres - from classic soul and old-school hip-hop, to beautifully fresh pop structures. The new record is dense with ideas and adventurous, a sonic-leap forth. “I was interested in having a lusher sound, more rich,” Wästberg says. “With the first record I had this idea that I wanted it to sound like an old vinyl record. I wanted this lo-fi, old-school sound. When I realized that I was actually making another album, I felt a bit scared of the whole thing, but it didn’t take me that long to realise that the only thing I could do was to make something that felt really right in my body and soul. I’ve realised that there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m ready to explore so much more.”

The sense of exploration resonates throughout the record and can be defined by its start and end points. Opening track ‘Fly Away’ begins the expedition, a gleaming reflection of past insecurities as a jump-off point for the next chapter, all subtle beats and stark bursts of guitars that leap out of the mix. Elsewhere, ‘No Giving Up’ is a tender recollection of a past relationship, set to an equally affectionate composition, a glowing example of Wästberg’s growing songwriting skills, while ‘The Sun Will Shine’ showcases another side of Joel’s skillset, a playful production full of inspired ideas and nuances; a Les Fleurseque mellow breeze in the heat of the summer.

The record’s boldest moment is reserved for ‘Deployed’, a collaboration with Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano. “Me and Little Dragon go way back. I’ve been hanging out with them for many years, and they were very supportive with my first album,” Wästberg explains. “I remember that Yukimi was always asking me if I was making my own music. One day I was working in my small studio room, and Little Dragon were one floor up. Yukimi knocked on the door and asked if she could listen. I played her some of my songs and she said, “This is great, go out and talk to the world!”. That was before my first album. So having Little Dragon as a feature here makes so much sense.” Beautifully bright and sincere, ’Deployed’ is a perhaps the most vivid pop song that sir Was has released to-date. A heartfelt accounting of relationships, of knowing when to let go and when to fight for them, ‘Holding On To A Dream’, is a dreamy, groovy, lustrous treat of a record. 

TRACK LISTING

Fly Away
No Giving Up
Deployed (feat. Little Dragon)
No More Separation
The Sun Will Shine
Somewhere
Lean Into This
Speak Up
Trust
See U Again
Pin Me Down


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