 Before I start waxing lyrical about the album, you should know that they are
not just an ordinary band. Their lead singer is gay, and is blind in one eye. They
fired their drummer for refusing to give up his sticks for the bass player to play
with. They are from the same town as equally dotty Bjork. They use violin bows
on guitars. But despite their madness, they have gone and made a truly
beautiful record.
Sumptuous melodies give way to regular crescendos, but it's not classical.
This is the brand new progressive. The take on the chillout we've all been
waiting for. The album has no official title, just two brackets on the front cover. There are no lyrics, just singer Jonsi Bergusson's made up Hopelandic, simply melodic nothings which fit the music perfectly.
There are 8 untitled tracks, only given names to put on the set list. The first single, Vaka, builds and falls from three or four crescendos, a common theme throughout this record. There is really only one word to describe it - epic. Njosnavelin, the "Nothing Song" is the 4th track, and is famously featured in the otherwise awful Tom Cruise film Vanilla Sky. Many people inquired as to who this band were after seeing the film, and Gwyneth Paltrow's child, 'Apple' was delivered to it.
'Daudalagid' (The Death Song) and 'Poppalagid' (The Pop Song) build up to an irresistible finish, the drum beat tribal and the guitars screeching. This is one record I can truly call beautiful, it is heart rending in its stature and proof that dottiness brings brilliance.
Ollie Connors |
| Coding: Darren Burrows