Country: Sweden
Formed in 2008 in response to all the happy pop music they heard around them, Gothenburg-based dark indie pop band Makthaverskan have been releasing albums and singles since 2009. Their sound, incorporating dream pop and post-punk elements, and capped with the vocals of Maja Milner, runs with a chilling undercurrent, even as it embraces sharp hooks.
2017 single “Comfort” has a positively haunting quality to it, as Milner’s epic vocals swoon over angular guitars and tribal drums. Then there’s “Asleep”, with it’s sugar-rush drums, shiny synths and elegant melody, which sounds like The Cure at their most poppy, even as the lyrics deal with hurt and heartbreak (“It’s not me you’re dreaming of”).
The group is continuing on its great streak with latest single “This Time”. The journeyman guitar line immediately creates a sense of longing, with Milner’s vocals coming in strong, especially on the dramatic harmonizing in the chorus. And the drums are the unspoken hero of the track, driving the powerful rhythm even while set back in the mix.
Check out these Swedish dynamos’ music in our World Watch Playlist!
The Indy Review 