Ideally, bands should have you by the first line, or song title. “Friday night I get drunk” is a good title, but a misleading one.
Instead of the cow-punk, bro-rock I might have been expecting, Swedish group The Then &
These offer a glimpse into a disheartening downward spiral. I’m not usually a supporter of low-blended vocals that are hard to follow, but the strategy works well here.
The central vocal part almost sounds like someone singing while laying their head on the cold gravel. The bedroom pop sparse instrumentation also works well with the theme here. Beautifully executed sad bastard music!
On second thought…
The Then & There are a Swedish group whose single sounds like a Sparklehorse cover of a boozy country ballad. Yes, thematically the tune is about getting drunk for the foreseeable weekends ahead. However, the emotion tied to the vocals tell the tale of heartbreak and misery.
Given their country of origin it should be of little surprise that the single is anchored by numerous pretty melodies. The vocals are sweet and, even though the production could provide more assistance, pleasant throughout. The acoustic guitar riff present throughout the track is memorable.
There’s an emotional hole in the song that would otherwise turn this into a true heartbreaker, but, overall, “Friday Night I Get Drunk” is well put together.
