Beginning with a steadfast hi-hat roll accompanied by a string swell that moves us immediately into a waltz-like ballad well suited for slow dancing, Ró by Niclas Sólheim Højgaard is our pick for Valentine’s Day.
Whether you’re spending it alone or you’ve been lucky enough to secure a date for the evening, Ró would provide a beautifully elegant atmosphere to your day.
The track features vocalist Bodil á Boðanesi and is sung in traditional Faroese, a North Germanic language spoken in the Faroe Islands and elsewhere including Denmark, Norway and Finland. Having never heard Faroese, I wasn’t at all sure what to expect when I received the track and if after reading our brief explanation you yourself are thinking that it might be harsh or curt, you’ll be quite taken aback by the wistful way á Boðanesi weaves in and out of each phrase, floating along the track’s classic composition full of rich string arrangements, melodic moving piano lines towards a sensationally emotive bluesy guitar solo as the song reaches its mountainous peak.
á Boðanesi does a wonderful job setting a tone that is every bit as charming as it is amorous, full of an aching desire and wholesome endurance. Meanwhile, the band keeps us captivated with uplifting pads, delightful bells over compelling organs and an engaging mid tempo rhythm section.
While we speak often about how pivotal a piece of music’s lyrics can be in connecting you to the story and message being relayed by the artist, Ró reminds us that the human voice is sometimes best used as its own melodic instrument and perhaps it’s not so important what’s being said as it is how it’s being conveyed to the listener.
Of course, we couldn’t help ourselves and had to know what heavenly words were being spoken to us anyways and were happy to receive a copy in both Faronese and English.
In rough translation, the song speaks towards finding hope in difficult times with á Boðanesi serving as our guiding angel through our most challenging conflicts and leading us towards resolution and peace.
Towards the tail end of the song, á Boðanesi provides us with a bit of faithful encouragement that we’re sure to hold dear to ourselves and that we’d like to highlight for you today:
“Morning, you can wait a while
Sleep you may tonight
The watchmen will protect
Whispers in the silence: Everything will be good for you, everything will be good”
Read on for the full translation below and listen to Ró wherever you stream.
Sunshine above us now,
The air embracing softly,
Solitary, alive, you and I,
The unsaid words tell me everything
(Chorus)
Our Earth, the sky, with it,
Dew wets the grass,
The river beckons and whispers of peace,
Forever it will be with me
Silent sorrowful silk-blown,
Cooling blushing skin,
Blessed we are and full of joy,
Never was the world as true as now
(Chorus)
The sun of day seeks its resting place,
The waiting clock strikes,
Evening trolls hold a peace summit,
Will you answer the call of the hummocks’ heights?
(Chorus)
Moon, beacon light in the night,
Darkness, you will become
We walk through dream gates,
The enchanted world, always like now
(Chorus)
Morning, you can wait a while
Sleep, you may tonight
The watchmen will protect,
Whispers in the silence: ‘Everything will be good for you, everything will be good’
(Chorus)
Keep up with Niclas Sólheim Højgaard by following their social media channels
Keep up with Bodil á Boðanesi by following their social media channels
Crooked Forest 