Establishing the mood with textured 80s drums and a dimensional synth and guitar soundscape with shimmering nuances, Untold Jukebox opens Rehnskiölds Fraustadt Strategy with a narrative and the situational lyrics, “The candles are burning down to the wooden floor, and the Gods are standing quiet outside the heavy doors, the map is covered in lines of red and blue, and everyone is wondering what the leader’s gonna do…”
We appreciate the intelligent songwriting, the conceptual depth and the captivating layered vocals as we are taken on a journey of poetic prowess with cinematic allure. In essence, Rehnskiölds Fraustadt Strategy is a historical time capsule transforming an 18th-century battlefield into a forgotten late-70s movie soundtrack. It’s pretty ingenious, educational and entertaining at the same time.
The historical setting is the Battle of Fraustadt in 1706, which was fought during the Great Northern War, when Swedish forces under General Carl Gustaf Rehnskiöld confronted a larger allied Saxon-Russian army. Untold Jukebox taps into the philosophical mentality behind the event.
There is something sublimely incongruous about hearing this story through the vocabulary of Yacht Rock. Instead of epic and dramatic Hans Zimmer-style cinematic bombast, Untold Jukebox takes the opposite route which is subversion at its finest. It also feels like a universally zeitgeist message when humanity needs it the most.
There are undeniable echoes of Eagles, Little River Band, Steely Dan, and Toto along with touches of Lionel Richie, and the smoothness creates an interesting dichotomy with military strategy subject matter! Historical songwriting can easily become either overly academic or theatrical, but Rehnskiölds Fraustadt Strategy finds a more interesting middle ground, treating history almost like a screenplay.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and could imagine this being featured in a movie about the event itself, or the Oscar-winning, One Battle After Another. We have added the ambitious and intelligent track to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Untold Jukebox, including Oh Judy (From the KGB), and The Eighty-First Man (The Grand Return).