16. Single Review of Strangers by Viktor & Grace

Originally published July 22nd, 2024

About the Artist

Let’s take a journey to the Netherlands together. A country famous for windmills, tulips, and the recreational attractions of Amsterdam. It is also a place where classical guitar players, Viktor and Grace fell in love with writing and performing folk music together and, in doing so, fell in love each other. 

Their style of folk is so authentic, it truly borders bluegrass and even a gospel music sound. Not lyrically, but melodically. Drawing inspiration from legendary musicians like Bob Dylan and Neil Young, Viktor & Grace leave a warm feeling; a comfort with every harmony, every strum, and every moment. You can hear their new single, Strangers on Spotify or any other streaming platform. 

Also, don’t be a “Stranger,” and make sure to check out their profiles on Threads, Instagram, and Spotify. 

Strangers

“Strangers” is an acoustic ballad that runs just over 3 minutes. It features a vocal duet performed by Viktor & Grace, an acoustic part, clean electric guitar, and a brief harmonica solo. Instrumentally, it is folk music, but introduces some more complex passing tones/chords transitioning from one chord to another. Vocally, the performance stays in the folk genre but has an older feel than the current folk/americana genre. The performance has more of an older bluegrass/gospel sound. 

The vocal part blends incredibly well with the instruments; one complimenting the other time and time again. Viktor & Grace have not only married in real life, their vocal performance also sounds eternally joined as Viktor’s harmonization never competes and masterfully compliments Grace’s lead. Grace’s tone is almost breathy; like a whisper. It’s such a lovely effect, as the listener is almost beckoned to the melody. Think Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, and Gillian Welch’s performance of “Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby,” from the soundtrack of the movie “O Brother, Where Art Tho?” 

Honestly, their song almost perfectly fits with the vibe of that album. A bit more contemporary but in that same traditional folk/bluegrass sense.

Lyrics

“You are a stranger/There once was a time/I didn’t know your name/And you didn’t know mine”

The lyrics are delivered in such a melancholy way. The song tells a story of lovers who- in the end- struggle to know one another. With moments of sweetness, moments of sadness, I felt like I was rooting for the lovers to find one another. I say find one another because the song almost depicts the lovers wandering in a pitch back room; unable to find each other. 

The story is beautiful. The lyricists have found a way to tell a common, tragic love song in a completely original way. Added with the melodic performance, it almost seems to bring us back in time to a simpler world, without the distractions of digital technology. Where finding love took a little more work than sending a text or “liking” a post. It took courage to pursue love. The heartaches were felt deeply and found love was more victorious. This song describes that element of emotional investment. 

Final Thoughts

I’ve now been working on these reviews for three weeks. I started at the beginning of July. With each selection, I’ve been looking for a particular element within the performance of each song. The ability to acknowledge musical history with the capacity to showcase an evolved or adapted interpretation. “Strangers” by Viktor & Grace does exactly that. It acknowledges an older genre of music and yet if belongs right here in 2024. 

Viktor & Grace have possibly pioneered a way for contemporary music to incorporate the warmth of old bluegrass to combat the electronic age of music, programming, and digital effects. That music also has its place in this decade but Vikctor & Grace have reminded us there are other ways to say what we need to.

I love this piece of music and how it’s performed. I urge the listeners to find a quiet place to listen to this wonderful piece of music. And don’t be a “stranger.” Make sure to visit Viktor & Grace. Help them out by leaving comments here on the blog to show your support. Make sure you follow them and stay posted on their future releases. They will be ones you’ll want to stay tuned in for, I’m sure of it.