Rycerzyki, or Little Knights, make some of the smartest and sweetest retro pop songs in Poland.

You might know them already from our special summer playlist, where they appeared because of their “retro-tinged sound that immediately transports the listener to a place where the sun is always shining and the water feels refreshingly cool,” as my colleague wrote.

Lighthearted, even naïve songs with intricate and/or odd melodies have always been the main trademark of Rycerzyki, a group founded in Kraków about a decade ago.

That’s also true about their long-awaited third album “Zniknij na zawsze” (“Disappear Forever”), which adds some kitsch to their sound, even employing a childhood Casio keyboard reportedly found in the attic.

On the top of that retro, are Gosia Zielińska’s nonchalant vocals, and in songs like “Pętle” (“Loops”) you can hear she’s got the smile in the studio all the time.

Personally, I love when at least two of them manouver together in harmony. But in case of “Duch”(“Spirit”), another immediate highlight from the album, Zielińska’s single take in the chorus makes it one of the sweetest moments in recent Polish music.

It’s all in Polish, by the way. Which is an interesting evolution, as the song that first made Rycerzyki famous among the indie folk was all in English. My fellow beehype writers from around the world didn’t seem to mind that and clearly endorsed Rycerzyki, so maybe you’ll also make friends with these Little Knights.

Stream “Zniknij na zawsze” LP on Spotify.

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Rycerzyki on Facebook, Instagram.

Photo: Robert i Borys Słuszniak