Track of the Day: Smoke Spider – The Damage Is Done
Over twenty years ago musicians Göran Florström and Johan Granat released records and toured Sweden as Cloud Catchers. Now, the Sweden-based duo is back as the alternative rock band Smoke Spider. Recently reconnecting, vocalist Florström and multi-instrumentalist Granat brought together their individual experiences in a bubble of beautiful sound. Featured on Sinusoidal Music, Less Than 1000 Followers, Pop Fad Blog and various playlists, the lads are not only heard in their native Sweden but on an international level. The latest addition to their discography is ‘The Damage Is Done’.
Following their single ‘Evil Eye’, Smoke Spider bring old-school rock to contemporary music scenes with ‘The Damage Is Done’. Combining pounding drums, keys and classic rock-esque guitars, the duo toss listeners into a smoky swirl of music. The powerful instrumentation, particularly the guitar solos, take you along a melodic journey with the veteran musicians. Yet, while the melody has a kaleidoscopic sound, it is the incorporation of 70s/80s style rock vocals that makes me grin. A grittiness can be heard in the leading vocals but with an underlying falsetto appearing every now and then. It reminds me of my youth when my mum would play Uriah Heep records in the car at top volume – great times.
The band may be known for their distinctive melodies, but it is the lyrical content that shows greater depth. Desperate and intense, ‘The Damage Is Done’ deals with a dystopian belief of “…the end closing in on you and not stopping”. As inspiring and heart-warming as the track may be, the fearfulness of a prolonged disintegration injects an intense melancholy in the music. I suppose the highs and lows in the single culminate in something beautifully distressing and intimate. It is this intensity and sentimentality that allows a deeper connection with listeners. Easily a soundtrack to Orwellian novels, Smoke Spider have an intoxicating single in ‘The Damage Is Done’.
For more from Smoke Spider check out their Instagram and Spotify.
