WORTH A LOOK?: *****
TRACKLIST: Hemmelighed; 112; Kamaeleon; Hvor Er Du Nu; Menneskeforbruger; Ved Godt Det Var Mig Der Tog Fejl; Dansemusik; Kaereste; Øve os på hinanden; Dine Ojne
Viewers of 2021’s Eurovision Song Contest may remember Fyr Og Flamme who represented Denmark finishing 11th in the 2nd semi final with 3rd single Øve os på hinanden.
- Read on for reasons including why you should check out these 10 songs in Danish
Fyr Og Flamme means ‘fire and flame’ in English and this duo consists of singer Jesper Groth and multi-instrumentalist Laurits Emanuel. Laurits released a solo album 6 years ago and Jesper is a well-known actor in his home country.
Øve os på hinanden means ‘Practice on each other’ and was a song of the month for us in February when we said it: ‘is a dizzying flurry of double handclaps, beautiful melodic ABBA-like keyboard motifs, a catchy descending guitar line, and, despite being sung in a language which we know very little of, it is still an absolute classic of a song’.
We felt it would make the final from that semi saying the: ‘decision not to transfer this to English means it stands little chance of winning but we think it’s a great, punch-the-air-with-joy conclusion to this semi and should sail through to the final’.
That result hasn’t put the band off its stride however and Fyr & Flamme’s debut album is very much in keeping with the 80s schlager pop sound that would be familiar from the Danish Eurovision finals of that decade and Dansemusik even namecheck Johnny Logan and Elton John as if to make its intentions clearer.
3 of the 9 other songs here have already been singles and our favourite is Kamaeleon which starts with a keyboard sound reminding of 80s US band Nu Shooz and culminates in something as beautiful and anthemic as Limahl’s Never Ending Story.
Next track Hvor Er Du Nu (in English, Where Are You Now?) begins by evoking 80s US rockers Starship but transforms itself into something a little more considered, slower and catchy.
The band have the look of a gay couple very much in love and the eyebrow-raising English translation of their Eurovision single and the opening track here Hemmelighed means Secret in English which only adds to their mystique.
Fyr & Flamme may not have made this year’s Eurovision final but they have succeeded in completing a 10-track album which surpasses its niche 80s influences and comes together to form one of the surprise best albums of 2021 so far.
monstagigz 