It’s a testament to the power of great guitar music, that the influence of the Smiths would be felt as far north as Norway. But, take Sigurd a B L’s opening lines to First Stage and you’ll notice a gem professedly ghostwritten by Morrissey. “I’ve heard you got a boyfriend/I hope he treats you right/Yes, I’ve been doing splendid/I sleep most every nights.”
What follows are the sung words of a charismatic misanthrope, while the gentle guitars and affected vocals meld with a modern drum track meant to point that this is not a mere exercise in nostalgia.