A Beautiful Descent into Darkness: “The Crow” Takes Flight

“The Crow” by ARN-IDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS AND ALIEN FRIENDS is a haunting, cinematic single that stands apart as a carefully chosen solitary release. While the project’s forthcoming 2026 album is set to explore more experimental territory inspired by Swedish folk music, this track instead echoes the Americana-leaning atmosphere of NO SWEETS FOR E (2023). That decision gives “The Crow” a focused identity, allowing its mood and narrative to unfold without distraction, like a self-contained short film steeped in melancholy.

Musically, the song channels classic emotional drama without falling into imitation or nostalgia. There’s a clear nod to Roy Orbison in its sweeping gestures and sense of longing, yet “The Crow” pushes further into darker emotional terrain. A bolero-like rhythm drives the track forward with slow inevitability, while sugary background vocals create a striking contrast to the song’s somber core. Strings and an English horn enter at key emotional peaks, adding cinematic weight and tension that feel purposeful rather than ornamental, heightening the song’s quiet sense of despair.

Lyrically, “The Crow” paints vivid and unsettling images of loneliness, using the stark symbol of a crow feeding on the dead to explore emotional desolation beyond romantic heartbreak. The writing is poetic, restrained, and unflinchingly honest, aligning with the project’s tradition of heartfelt and contemporary lyricism. Andreas Quincy Dahlbäck’s understated yet powerful drumming anchors the arrangement, while background vocals from David Myhr and Stefan Petersson bring warmth and depth to the stark narrative. In the end, “The Crow” emerges as one of the project’s most emotionally resonant releases—beautiful, bleak, and unforgettable in its ability to turn darkness into something quietly profound.