Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.04.2006, Qupperneq 33

GRAPEVINE
ALBUM REVIEWS
The singular, sharp and stunningly explicit and con-
centrated voice of Katrína Mogensen drives Mammút’s
debut so that at first, were it not for the patient, buzzing
unpredictability of the bass, it could be mistaken for a solo
project. But, upon further listening, this quirky, awkward
little trinket is revealed for what it truly is: A tight, pow-
erful album blessed with true emotional quality and depth
that belies the youth of its creators.
Only the annoyingly abstract lyrics and occasion-
ally juvenile guitar melodies (Þorkell, Gítarlagið) detract
from what is otherwise a mournful, stylish and occasion-
ally apocalyptic album, which even comes with its own
distinct trajectory and structure. Its shortness almost
undermines all this, but the closing title track, a superior
and pure song with a plodding drum beat that lives up to
its namesake (Mammút roughly translates as mammoth),
is easily haunting enough to stay with you long after the
CD stops playing. Its cryptic, mesmerising and strangely
resigned lyrics echoing dully as images of huge, brown-
furred elephants ambling steadily through a blizzard fill
the mind.
SE
“How abstract can we get”....indeed. While a criminal
who confesses is no less guilty, it does make one more
inclined to be easy on him. Saying that In Cod We Trust
is avant-garde would be an understatement bordering
on the comically ludicrous, but being good enough to
get away with it is where Ghostigital differ greatly from
many of their peers. Tight, focused, racy and experi-
mental without being pretentious and difficult, it pumps
through its 11 solid and individualised tracks with explo-
sive and terrifying insanity, perhaps scariest in its bor-
derline conformity. Dream Of Sleep’s bleating, blaring
samples are transformed into catchy hooks, and instantly
danceable Not Clean veers as close to the mainstream as
Ghostigital are likely to get without losing their edge.
The entire album exudes tight, minimal professionalism
in every respect even as it recklessly indulges in hip-hop,
electro, ambient, drum & bass and industrial playfulness,
touching so many bases that it’s tempting to apply to it
the loathsome ‘crossover’ label.
Aside from its decidedly shallow and gimmicky
preference of incomprehensible insanity over emotional
depth, it is, simply put, exactly what happens when music
that should not be made is made the way it should be.
SE
GHOSTIGITAL - IN COD WE TRUST
Guide to the rating system:
In prison, you deal in cigarettes. In Iceland, you deal in beers. We don’t condone this, we just
accept it as fact. One beer = 500 ISK at the seedy bars we frequent. That means a mainstream
release costs up to 2,500 ISK... or $40. Yes, that much. That’s why we do the beer thing.
Reviews by Bart Cameron and Sindri Eldon.
Wait long enough, and things come around. Once
known only as Pavement’s side project, Silver Jews are
now garnering media attention for Tanglewood Numbers
and the first-ever tour for the band supporting the album.
Tanglewood is a very good album, but some of the wind
is out of the sails, most notably in Stephen Malkmus’s
more derivative, rock-style guitar work. What Tangle-
wood can do is draw you to American Water, one of the
finest combinations of wit, drawl and guitar sprawl of the
last 30 years. Likely you want an example of how good
the lyrics are: it’s hard to quote Dave Berman, though,
cause there isn’t an end point. My favourite lines are
from, maybe one should call it a stanza, in the opening
song on American Water, Random Rules:
I asked a painter why the roads are colored black.
He said, “Steve, it’s because people leave
and no highway brings them back.”
So if you don’t want me I promise not to linger,
but before I go have to ask you dear about the tan line
on your ring finger.
BC
Worth four beers.
MAMMÚT - MAMMÚT
Worth four beers.
WINNER
#
SILVER JEWS - AMERICAN WATER
Worth five beers.
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