Rolf Wikström - Ballader och Bröl (2021)

Rolf explains the ten-year break by saying that it did not feel important to release something new in the new streaming landscape. With the newfound interest in vinyl records, especially among younger people, it became meaningful, challenging and fun to record and release new material.

From the newly recorded album Ballader och Bröl came the first single Klass, Klass, Klass on February 24. A few days later the video was released and in just two weeks it had achieved more than 50,000 views! It is a smoldering political and frustrating vital punk funk song about the nonsense of dividing people by skin color, gender or sexual orientation.

Ballader och Bröl has eight new songs by Rolf and Ett enskilt rum på Sabbatsberg, perhaps John Holm's most classic song. Jonte sat on Rolf's mother's sofa and played it for two years before it was recorded. Ever since then, Rolf has carried it with him. The version on the album is as if Johnny Cash has been on a double date with Jimi Hendrix and Hansson & Karlsson. The opening track Klass Klass Klass already feels like a future Rolf classic. The album is a journey among Rolf's musical roots, blues, soul, rock, country and Swedish song tradition. The lyrics are, as always, timelessly gripping.