All songs are created to serve a purpose. A message from its creator to the audience, an outward expression or a stance towards something, or just to provide a pleasant feeling to its listeners. Yet, some songs speak far louder than others.
Sweeter Than Sorrow is Mattias Wahlberg’s solo project. Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, and known for being the bandleader of the folk-pop outfit Sombre View, Mattias is no newcomer to creating intricate and charming pop tunes with a sophisticated edge. His latest effort comes in the form of “Into the Night”. A stripped-down lullaby with a boundless feel and introspection.
Inspired by the loss of a loved one, and the sudden announcement of a new life. It’s not hard to see how contradicting events can induce such bittersweet confusion. The song is a lulling, piano-driven piece with a gentle upright bass to accompany Mattias’s trembling delivery. Heartfelt, torn between two lands, and laced with sadness. Mattias implores his love to surrender and gently pass into the peace of the darkness, while the composition gently shifts underneath, playing an oppressively minor-sounding progression, leaving no room whatsoever for light to pass through any crevice.
Having personally endured the loss of a dear one recently, I found my hair standing on the edge and experienced shivers listening to this piece. Simple and direct, full of emotion and honesty, this is a piece of work that leaves no room for interpretation. It’s here to be the last goodbye, and it does so in a fitting way that can only be achieved by an artist that’s brave and unfazed by showing their true heart.