ARN-Identified Flying Objects and Alien Friends, the solo project of Swedish musician Alien Friend, has released the evocative single “The Crow,” available now on all major streaming platforms. Drawing from the dramatic essence of Roy Orbison’s melancholic ballads, the track weaves a somber narrative of loneliness, symbolized by a crow feeding on the dead, pushing beyond romantic sorrow into deeper existential territory.
Alien Friend, who previously played guitar and sang in the Swedish band REDMOON, channels a vintage vibe in “The Crow” with a Bolero-like rhythm, sugary background vocals, and sweeping dramatic gestures. The arrangement incorporates strings and an English horn at emotional peaks, enhancing the song’s theatrical intensity. “When I wrote the song, I felt I was rewriting an old Roy Orbison-tune, although I didn’t try to,” explains Alien Friend. “Recording it, I tried to maintain that feeling, with the Bolero-like rhythm, the sugary background vocals and the dramatic gestures incorporating strings and an English horn at the emotional climaxes. The somber lyrics, with its pictures of loneliness as a crow eating from the dead, in a way go beyond the romantic melancholia of Orbison.”
The single features contributions from esteemed collaborators: drums by internationally respected Andreas Quincy Dahlbäck, and beautiful background vocals by David Myhr (of The Merrymakers) and Stefan Petersson (of Mother James). This blend of talents adds layers of emotional depth and musical sophistication to the track.
Critics have praised the single’s introspective power. As Illustrate Magazine notes, “Lyrically, the vision of a crow eating from the dead pushes past romantic melancholia into something harsher and more existential.”
“The Crow” stands as a testament to Alien Friend’s ability to fuse classic influences with poignant, modern storytelling, inviting listeners into a world of reflective solitude.
