By the amount of attention he’s receiving over here, you’d think that Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson (known simply as Ásgeir) was the next big thing to come out of Iceland and ‘make it’ internationally. And you’d be absolutely right.
The singer-songwriter has one foot in folk territory and the
other in electronica. Folky guitar and
piano riffs are the main component of his sound, coupled with jaunty rhythms,
rich brass and sumptuous vocal harmonies, whilst Ásgeir’s soft tenor purrs
gently over the top. In The Silence and Was There Nothing?, for example, are pure folk tracks, the former
slowly developing to incorporate militaristic drums, the latter a hushed ballad
based on a lilting guitar pattern. At
times it borders on Bon Iver territory.
It’s a world away from his most notorious Icelandic contemporaries – the weird
and wonderful Björk and the majestic Sigur Rós. Unlike Sigur Rós, though, Ásgeir does sing in English – at least in this
reworking of the album, originally entitled 'Dýrð í dauðaþögn' in his homeland (winning him the Album of the Year at
the 2012 Icelandic Music Awards). Whilst
the English lyrics certainly lose some of the poetic mystery of the original
language, the music loses none of its potency.
It’s the
electronic inflections, however, that set him apart from other folk acts and
add an avant garde air that those other Icelandic acts are known for. The album is bookended by Higher and Soothe
This Pain, which both have an almost James Blake feel about them with their
processed beats and distorted organ, creating an overall framework in which Ásgeir becomes slowly more experimental.
Summer Guest keeps things simple, beginning as a lively folk tune
but eventually introducing a whirring synth melody upon its icy breeze; and the
spine of lead single King and Cross is its spiky guitar riff, with
touches of alien synths and beats. Torrent
marks the halfway point of the album – with grittier, louder production –
before it all descends into darker, moody territory with the melancholic Going
Home and the breezy, glitchy Head in the Snow, before the frosty
electric guitars of the album’s closer – its most experimental track.
The
electronic influences are all subtle and underplayed and don’t impinge on the
overall folk aesthetic. In this way, Ásgeir is bringing the genre into the modern era by crafting his own unique
sound. Those songs relying more heavily
on pure folk are lacking that unique quality, whilst his songwriting at times
is missing a bit of gusto. Yet the
quiet, contemplative feel is part of the charm of this beautiful and evocative
album.
4/5
Gizzle's Choice:
* King And Cross
* Going Home
* Soothe This Pain
Listen: 'In The Silence' is available now.
