At a moment when the world seems to grow only more tumultuous, "Cruising" comes as a soft, meditative balm for the soul. The debut pairing of Riverwoods and Swedish vocalist powerhouse Jeanette Bengtsson feels like the spiritual embodiment of classic soft rock, timeless, melodic, and unapologetically intimate.
"Cruising" is a tale of survival and solidarity. Featuring brand-new English lyrics by Jimmy Granstrom and Dave Prine, sung over the original Swedish melody by Lars Brundin's composition "Du finns här," the song redefines personal reflection as a voyage of shared experience. The song's weight comes from its simplicity, which makes sense of the madness in the world by finding a place for someone we love.
The song feels smooth, like a throwback from the '70s and '80s soft rock. Think open highways, golden sunsets, and the wind in your hair with a contemporary emotional spin. The production straddles a line between pop-rock clarity and adult contemporary warmth, letting Jeanette Bengtsson's searching vocals glide like a cool breeze. Her husky, gravelly, and softly strong voice is the perfect vessel to carry the words with unstoppable authenticity that hits you long.
Riverwoods, with Lars Brunnin's songwriting, continues to understand the power of music as storytelling. And Brundin's personal history, some P4 Malmöhus airplay, and a swell of praise surrounding his "Hotel Royal" album gives "The Mountain" a burrowed-in sense of quiet authority to accompany its peaks and valleys. Jeanette's no stranger to being in the spotlight and toured all over the world with ABBA tribute band Arrival From Sweden and has recorded with the likes of Michael Stolt and Roxette's Jonas Isacsson, so this duet comes with quite the musical pedigree.
Dave Prine's legendary lineage adds a poet's earthy layering to the endeavor. His day job in indigenous language preservation might look unrelated to songwriting, but it points to a shared mission, preserving the human voice in all its emotional truth. "Cruising" is the song that invites you in. For anyone who feels the weight of these times, it's a reminder that you are not alone on that ride.
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