8. November 2026
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Media Review

Benjamin Rajani – Onkustadni er ein vidarlund

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Benjamin Rajani - Onkustadni er ein vidarlund

Benjamin Rajani - Onkustadni er ein vidarlund
4.4

Rating

 4.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Lovely, deep storytelling
  • Very atmospheric songs

Flyctory.com Cons

  • The almost unavoidable language barrier to Faroese

There are so many ways how you get into a certain kind of music or run into an artist. As I shared in my Songs of my Life episode about Benjamin Rajani’s A Sigursferd, it is sometimes about sports. I ran into the Faroese artist as his song was (and still is) some sort of anthem for the Faroe Islands handball national teams. Thereafter, I featured Benjamin in my Songs of the Week a couple of times. On 6th November 2026, he shared his new album, Onkustaðni er ein viðarlund. Here are my thoughts about the record.

I am using Standard Latin letters only in case I cannot use copy and paste while writing the report.

 

Benjamin Rajani – About The Artist

Benjamin Rajani is a Faroese singer-songwriter and professional psychologist currently based in Copenhagen, Denmark. He found a deep connection to his native Faroese language while studying at a university in the United Kingdom, which inspired him to start writing intimate, melancholic indie-folk music. Following early indie releases like his 2016 EP To Be Torn, he officially launched his debut studio album, Tá hvørt ljós líkist tær, in early 2025.

The early 2024 song A Sigursferð (“On a victory tour”) is a rather unusual song by Rajani, as it comes with a comparably uplifting style. Despite its recent popularity, his most frequently streamed song on Spotify is the 2017 Freedom in His Light.

 

Benjamin Rajani – Onkustadni er ein vidarlund – Track by Track

The ten song album lasts 36 minutes.

1. Eitt tekin um lív

The first song’s translates to “A sign of life”. Luckily, TUTL Records shared the lyrics and Google Translate is able to deal with Faroese. Otherwise, the beauty of the storytelling in this calm, typical Rajani folk track would be hidden to international listeners. I like this calm opener.

2. Upp úr nalvanum

Sosialir miðlar
blaka vanlig fólk
á opnan pall
til framførslur.

(“Social Media
throw ordinary people
on an open stage
for performances.”)

Upp ur nalvanum comes with a stronger musical presence, including a drums on the rhythmic side. The song also comes with a good melody, which makes it easier to connect to it, even if you don’t get all the lyrics. A really nice song!

Tí eg vil enn hyggja upp,
upp úr nalvanum,
og inn í títt smíl.

(“Because I still want to look up,
up from the navel,
and into your smile.”)

3. Avmarkingar

“Restrictions” feels darker than the songs before. Nonethtless, the song also has a positive touch, especially in its chorus. Overall, the song is very throughtful and reflecting, but also has an interesting vibe if you don’t get into its story.

4. Í 20’unum

In the fourth song, Rajani reflects being in the 20’s of your life. It is about growing up – or eri vaksin nú, I guess (“I am an adult now, I guess”), how he states in the song. Here and there, there are English lyrics in this one, so that Faroese might feel more familiar to you than it actually is. Starting like a typical singer-songwriter track, the song also grows a melodic complexity over its 3:29 minutes of play.

5. Í ørviti

The title of the fifth song means “In Madness”. This time, the song stays in a singer-songwriter style, just presenting Rajani’s voice and an acoustic guitar. I like that personal touch.

6. Glopraregn

Glopraregn is one of two songs on Onkustadni er ein vidarlund, which are longer than four minutes. Like in many of his songs, Benjamin Rajani is excellent in describing feelings and putting them into a musical – and metaphorical – experience. Bad luck that this beauty does have a certain language barrier.

7. Glansbíløt

Glansbilot rather feels like an indie-pop track. The song is very atmospheric and especially its chorus stays in your mind. The song is about young people and that Tey elska glansbíløt! (“They love shiny cars!”), but at the end, the song also gets a different view. One of the last lines state Tey hata glansbíløt! (“They hate shiny cars”)

8. Eg vil nógv meir

The last three songs of the album have all been previously unreleased. In this eighth one, Rajani is again going for a pop-ish track with a calm indie touch. The song is about goals in life, but also the struggle and uncertainty which comes with it. It’s a really nice write.

Áh, ikki halt í mær,
tí eg vil nógv meir, nógv meir.
Áh, kanst tú halda mær?
Tí eg vil nógv meir, nógv meir.

(“Oh, don’t hold on to me,
because I want much more, much more.
Oh, can you keep me?
Because I want much more, much more.”)

9. Gott og ónt

The title of this song translates to “Good and evil”. Again, Rajani is singing about contrasts. Successful managers, a bright future, but on the other hand, Børnini í Sýria
mangla enn sín matpakka nú – “The children of Syria still missing their lunch boxes now”. He presents these ideas in a calm atmosphere, making it one of my favorite listens of the album.

10. Mín síðsti sangur

Hetta verður mín síðsti sangur.
Alt er longu sagt, og ein rúgva aftrat.
Feilir plága alt, eg skrivi.

(“This will be my last song.
Everything has already been said, and a lot more.
Mistakes plague everything I write.”)

The slow and slightly dark song closes the album. With the row Hetta verður mín fyrsti sangur (“This will be my first song”) later in the song, he is also embracing the entire album with this song. A really nice and intense way to finish his sophomore record.

 

Benjamin Rajani – Onkustadni er ein vidarlund – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Benjamin Rajani – Onkustadni er ein vidarlund – Track by Track

Giving this album a fair review from an international perspective is very difficult. Benjamin Rajani’s music is driven by his excellence of telling stories. His 2026 album is a perfect proof for it. If you invest into it – or if you understand his native language – , you will have a great experience with this set

Favorite Song: Gott og ónt

 

Folk Music Posts in 2026

Here are all my Music & Media posts related to folk music published in 2026:

 

Sports (Faroe Islands)

Here are all my sports postings related to the Faroe Islands:

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