Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.06.2008, Qupperneq 19

I guess this qualifies as authentic Icelandic folk-rock, which is not re-
ally something that inspires me with pride in my cultural heritage.
Let’s focus on the positive: 1) I enjoyed the song Jónas, not least be-
cause the lyric was written by the bass player when he was 11-years
old, which I would rather have expected from the other lyrics actu-
ally. 2) The guitar sound is good, almost as good as the drum sound
is flat and horrible. I can’t think of anything else positive to say, really.
Fans of Þursaflokkurinn will undoubtedly enjoy this, but again, Þursa-
flokkurinn has never inspired much pride in me either. I see this band
playing staff parties and the occasional political rally in the future.
The political rallies will undoubtedly be organized by themselves.
Reviewed by Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Debut release from the alt-pop darlings Múgsefjun. Their sound is
built around the interaction between the accordion player and a
more regular bass, drums and guitar pop instrumentation and the oc-
casional organ. Somewhat unusual, but quite loveable all the same.
The songwriting is solid, blending influences from alt-country, jazz
and progressive rock to form well crafted pop tunes, nicely delivered
by singer Hjalti Þorkelsson. 12 songs in all, this is a solid first recording
of radio-friendly tunes from Múgsefjum, which should firmly establish
them among the forefront of the Icelandic pop scene.
Reviewed by Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
This is a beautiful record: Simple as that. Barði Johannsson has taken
simplistic, synth infused melodies, wrapped each around blankets of
warm, comforting reverberated vocals and soft-spoken rhythmic tex-
tures to create, what is quite possibly, the best Icelandic pop record
to emerge this year. But this is a quiet triumph, a record that unravels
more of itself with frequent listens, careful not to move too quickly
to pit mood over melody. It’s dark, painfully dark at times, but with
Bang Gang, it’s the ghosts that bellow, not the light that makes them
visible. From the beginning verse of ‘The World Is Grey’ through the
dark corridors of ‘I Know You Sleep’ and Postal Service-esque “You
Won’t Get Out’, a tune co-penned with Gonzales, this is a weighty, in-
cisive listen, one showcasing a heavyweight in Icelandic pop. Watch
out Mugison.
Reviewed by Shain Shapiro
So who exactly is Disa? Well, after several listens to the chanteuse’s
long-player, I cannot offer much to properly answer that question.
Still, in this case, it does not matter. Dísa experiments with haunting
Icelandic pop, Chamber folk, electronic blips and bleeps, cabaret
and off-kilter percussive textures while attempting to hold the fort
down with intelligent production techniques and childlike, sugges-
tive vocal work. At times it is glorious, especially in the first half of
the album from “Alien Symphony’ through ‘Final Call’. The last bit,
however, including the questionable nu-soul romp of ‘Equations’
and too-ethereal exercise of ‘Heyr Mina Ben’ does not succeed, mov-
ing too far from the singer’s pop-sopped comfort zone. Regardless, it
is an ambitious, multi-layered set built upon a voice that holds one’s
own. More focus may produce a gem next time around.
Reviewed by Shain Shapiro
This is Benni Hemm Hemm’s third studio album in as many years,
which puts him among the most productive contemporary recording
artists in Iceland. After a successful collaboration with Jens Lekhman,
Benni Hemm Hemm returns with Murta St. Caluga, by no means a
giant step from 2007 release, Kajak. It contains all the innocence and
sweetness that is possible to muster from a horn-section and acoustic
guitars, much like Kajak. In chess terms, this could be labelled as a
waiting-move; it is not an offensive move but forcefully defends the
status quo, which in Benni’s case is no small feat. There is a hint of
country and western to be detected in some of the arrangements, and
Benni’s newfound humour towards political issues is refreshing. Oth-
er than that, these could easily be outtakes from the Kajak sessions.
Reviewed by Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Ghosts From the Past
Bang Gang
Dísa
Dísa
Murta St. Caluga
Benni Hemm Hemm
Grjóthrun
Grjóthrun í Hólshreppi
Skiptar skoðanir
Múgsefjun
CD CD CD
CD CD
This is the first solo album by Sigurður Guðmundsson of Hjálmar and
Senuþjófarnir fame. The album is an original soundtrack to an upcom-
ing documentary called Teipið gengur. Here, Sigurður covers classic
Icelandic pop/jazz dance melodies from various artists of yore. This
is an excellent compilation, really. The performance is solid, and it
is difficult to argue with the selection of songs. This is the kind of CD
you could slip in for a romantic evening with a loved one, and you’d
already be halfway towards the goal. This might not be breaking any
new ground, but sometimes a solid delivery of classics is just what
you need. Sigurður has a nice delivery for this kind of songs, and pulls
it off without ever sounding cheesy.
Reviewed by Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Oft spurði ég mömmu
Sigurður Guðmundsson og Memfismafían
CD
Reviews | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 07 2008 | 19
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