Pajaanch and Midnight Swimmers – Czech Republic Song Features

     While we missed both until recently, two Rock-heavy songs were released by Czech Republic bands in the final months of 2025. In the final few days of the year, Pajaanch shared "The Night that Loved Us Back." The strength of the song lies in the dynamic vocals. But the darkness in the “World” and “Tribal” aspects of the instrumentation is another strong draw.
 
       Pajaanch is a project driven by Pavel Bublík, who openly discloses that "The Night that Loved Us Back" is AI assisted. His lyrics describe finding solace in the darkness of the night (the lyrics are included in this post). The track resides as the final song on the album “Veins of Eternal Night,” which is a “dark cinematic fantasy album inspired by vampiric mythology, ancient rituals, and eternal love — blending tribal drums, medieval echoes, and haunting voices into a timeless nightbound saga.”
 
     Pajaanch is a Czechia-based Ritual Mythic Folk project blending medieval dark folk, Nordic and pagan atmospheres with cinematic ritual soundscapes. Rooted in ancient myths, forgotten gods and sacred rites, the music draws inspiration from Viking, medieval and dark folk traditions, with touches of folk metal and acoustic storytelling. Music for moonlit nights, sacred fires and listeners drawn to myth, darkness and timeless worlds.
 
     "The Night that Loved Us Back" by Pajaanch

Bandcamp: pajaanch.bandcamp.com
 

Lyrics of "The Night that Loved Us Back" by Pajaanch
When all the world had turned away
The night remained, the night still stayed
In blood and shadow, oath and scar
We became the dark, the final star
 
No dawn could reach, no sun could burn
The lessons death could never learn
 
Hands entwined through endless fears
Whispers echoing through years
We carved our name in stone and bone
The night replied, we were not alone
 
Through hunger, fire, and endless storm
We found a place, our souls reborn
 
The night that loved us back
Held us through every crack
Through shadow, blood, and pain we went
Through time itself, we were unbent
 
The night
Loved us back
Forever

 

     Midnight Swimmers is an Indie Rock band originally from London and now based in the Czech Republic. The members are Tomáš Galek (drums), Jan Srostlík (bass), Albert Pazdera (guitar), and Stanislav Chyzhman (vocals). The band released “Storm” in November 2025. The song is politically charged with themes of societal decay and profiting over others.

           “Storm” by Midnight Swimmers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MidnightSwimmersband/
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/midnightswimmers

“Goldsmith” by Fur Blossom – A Song Feature

 

     Fur Blossom describe themselves as an upbeat four-piece that blends classic Atmospheric Psychedelic Rock with their own modern twist. Regarding their single “Goldsmith,” the primary influence was likely The Byrds. The song features an electric 12-string guitar--the signature sound of The Byrds. But rather than the Rickenbacker of Roger McGuinn, Fur Blossom use a Danelectro 59. Still, both guitars emit the unmistakable charm of a shimmering 12-string chime.
 
     The lyrics of “Goldsmith” are included at the bottom of this post. Fur Blossom explain that the song “speaks to the ageless conundrum of changing yourself for someone else, or someone from your past.” To what level are you willing to redefine yourself for someone else? The Rock-ready vocals delivery the lyrics with the appropriate uncertainty--sometimes evidencing conviction and other times exposing a willingness to be reshaped.
 
     But the magic of Fur Blossom’s single is in the instrumentation, which is on full display during the bridge that begins around the two-minute mark. The bridge starts with a pair of guitars that can finish each other’s thoughts. Percussion and bass join to increase the momentum. Then, a harmonica enters from nowhere.
 
       Fur Blossom are based in Melbourne, Australia. The members are Mathew Chetcuti (bass), Joél Feltrin (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Callum Milgate (lead guitar, backing vocals), and Craig Tees (lead vocals, guitar). Quoting their well-reasoned description of “Goldsmith:”
   “An articulated and undulating guitar riff immediately sets the tone for the slow burn of the extended introduction. The subtle fade in of each instrument creates a false sense of security, and before you know it, you are sucked into a sonic vortex. The crisp and contemplative vocal performance from Craig Tees rises above the instrumentation, before fading back in the chorus, creating depth and dimension to allow every part of the arrangement to speak and demand attention. 
  Just when you think the track is coming to a close, a cleverly placed fade out opens the floor for a surprise harmonica break (Craig Tees), further propelling the track into the groovy stratosphere. The final chorus is stronger dynamically, with a wistful nostalgia in the final lyrical refrains, which capture the overarching narrative of ‘Goldsmith.’” 
 
     “Goldsmith” by Fur Blossom

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FurBlossom/
LinkTr.ee: https://linktr.ee/furblossom
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/furblossom

Lyrics of “Goldsmith” by Fur Blossom

I know it's time for a change
Sitting in the haze
But somethings just remain,
So tell me how you want me to be
So tell me how you want me to be
 
But he said, she said
I know what it's like to be dead
But the rain don't make no sense
And it's all stuck in my head
And it's all stuck in my head
 
But I've changed my ways
Sitting in the haze
I don't remember what she said, or her name
It was all just a…
 
So I've seen it then
Time's just end up when
Tell me what you want to hear
And let me whisper in your ear
And let me whisper in your ear
 
But he said, she said
I know what it's like to be dead (so dead)
But the rain don't make no sense
And it's all stuck in my head
And it's all stuck in my head
 
But I've changed my ways
Sitting in the haze
I don't remember what she said, or her name
It was all just a dream
All the times that I've seen
Tell me what I'm supposed to be
I bet you'd look good next to me
I bet you'd look good next to me

“Bruiser” by Big Sleep – A Song Feature

 

     From the outset, “Bruiser” surges with a pulsating rhythmic drive that underpins a delicate upper-frequency guitar. A less subtle guitar soon surfaces, and the attention of a listener is firmly in grasp. Initially, the vocals take a periodical approach with a matter-of-fact tone, but this restraint does nothing to diminish the soaring trajectory of the single from Big Sleep.
 
     There are times when “Bruiser” features multiple vocalists in a back-and-forth dialogue (for example, at 0:51). Unfortunately, the lyrics are not easily understood, but it is not difficult to determine that there isn’t agreement amongst the parties. A segment of the lyrics are included in this post. Interestingly, Big Sleep “borrows” the line “They call me Mellow Yellow” from a 1960s song by Donovan, which is reported to be about either smoking dried banana skins or marital aids.
 
     Big Sleep is based in Dublin, Ireland. The members are Rónán Connolly (lead vocalist, guitar), Matteo Poli (drums), Aidan Gray (bass), and Naiara Clarke LaFuente (guitar), who joined after a chance encounter involving an illegal rave, a forest, and a homemade stage. In 2026, the band released its debut album “Holy Show” via LAB Records. The band explains:
  “At its core, ‘Holy Show’ is an album about transience. In Ireland, a “holy show” refers to a messy situation, emotional chaos, public embarrassment, or the kind of scene you can’t quite look away from. Across ten tracks, Big Sleep turn that phrase inward. Each song captures its own moment of finding, losing, clinging to, or walking away from love.”
 
     The explanation then turns to their single: If ”Holy Show” captures emotional chaos, “Bruiser” is its neon-lit heartbeat. Clocking in at a breathless 199bpm, the track barrels forward with restless urgency. The Spotify stream of the ten-song album is embedded at the bottom of this post.
 
     “Bruiser” by Big Sleep

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigsleepmusicpeople
Website: https://www.bigsleepband.com/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Bigsleepmusic

Selected Lyrics of “Bruiser” by Big Sleep
Boom boom we shake the room
They call me Mellow Yellow
Mama, what about you
 
Everybody’s got a dream
And it’ll be somebody new
You gotta break into the scene
Let me help you push through
 
Keep it in the pocket
Rinse repeat
In the pocket wrapped up in the sheets
And now you’re falling
Or you can go steady for a couple of weeks