Hailing from the quaint coastal town of Falkenberg, Sweden, Johan Örjannson has virtually remained untouched by the outside world. Up until now, the troubadour who now goes under the monicker Basko Believes has been hiding behind a Scandinavian bubble, but lucky for us that bubble is finally about to burst. Örjannson has just announced a debut Australian tour for December so before he departs his picturesque hometown and gets to our shores we thought we’d give you a formal introduction to his delicate Swedish-tinged folk, starting with an exclusive stream and track-by-track breakdown of Basko Believe’s brand new debut album, Melancholic Melodies.
‘Honey Pie’
Opening proceedings with what is easily the most light-hearted track on the record, ‘Honey Pie’ radiates warmth with gentle acoustic plucking and crisp, clean vocals. If Scandinavia was a folk song, it would probably sound something like this.
‘If I Were To Love You’
The first of a string of poignant ballads which make up the bulk of Melancholic Melodies, ‘If I Were To Love You’ features some signature stripped back instrumentals that allow for Örjannson’s expert storytelling to take the reigns.
‘Bottles And Birds’
Driven by a sound edging closer to country than folk, ‘Bottles And Birds’ showcases the versatility in Örjannson’s acoustic repertoire. Whilst Basko Believe sounds best in the realm of folk, these moments rescue the album from blending into one wall of indistinguishable acoustics; a trap that folk records often get lost in.
‘The Yellow Fields’
Easily the record’s key track, ‘The Yellow Fields’ gradually builds to a moment of catharsis lead by an electric guitar solo and hyper-emotional lyricism, giving the album its most memorable peak.
‘Houses’
Contrasting the heavy catharsis of ‘The Yellow Fields’, ‘Houses’ drifts back to mellow, soothing vibes as Örjannson desperately pleads for forgiveness from a past lover.
‘Empty Road’
“On the other side of love is another road and it’s called empty road/Empty is my heart/Empty is my soul”, he bellows out on ‘Empty Road’, the perfect encapsulation of a melancholic melody.
‘These Winding Roads’
Continuing on the theme of roads – a reference echoing constantly through these narratives – this slice of country gently ebbs and flows as Örjannson lets his slide guitar do the talking for him.
‘August Makes Me Cry’
“I could offer you a million songs,” Örjannson cries repeatedly in the most melancholic and emotionally-striking hymn on the album, another standout rightfully listed as one of the lead singles.
‘We had A Secret Place’
Trading the acoustic for the electric, ‘We Had A Secret Place’ classifies as country-rock, again displaying the diverse mix of references underpinning Blasko Believe’s sound.
‘Izabella Case’
‘Izabella Case’ follows in the footsteps of its precursor before treading even further away from folk with jarring guitar riffs, overlays of distortion and cymbal-clashing percussion.
‘Rather Be With You’
The album ends with a final serenade of melodic folk, and as it stretches comes down with this final track the essence of John Örjannson and Basko Believe gloriously shines through.
Listen to the album in full below:
