Wander too far from the beaten path while exploring the deep, mystical forests of Sweden, and you’re liable to stumble across the odd moose, dragon-tattooed emo woman, or, if you’re really lucky, a loveable neo-folk band. Thankfully we found the latter, Brothers Among Wera, and they blessed us with their firecracker of a debut album, Fictional Takes.
Driven by the joyful wildfire of leading lass Wera Westholm’s vocals, this 11-track spirit quest burns with a passionate brand of defiant neo-folk reminiscent of Mumford and Sons and Of Monsters and Men. Spanning from the trumpet-infused gallop of “Mammoth” to soulful, stamp-alongs like “Death in the Afternoon” and the more introspective “My Fictional Breakup”, Fictional Takes is as versatile as it is a wide-eyed, grinning, good time.
Videos by VICE
But the Brothers’ blaze is never brighter than in the final two-track round-out that is the explosive and honest “Hannah I Passed The Test” followed by the tender authenticity of “Fallen Gods Of Mine”. We’re still not entirely sure who Hannah is, or what test was passed – but folk-flinging Brothers Among Wera have most definitely passed our test.
Take that, Hannah.
You can find Fictional Takes on Spotify.
