Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.07.2010, Page 43

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31
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2010
Music | Live Review
Mixing poetry, film and music, Ólöf
Arnalds’ recent homecoming concert
at the Nordic House proved to be an
overall successful night. Before Ólöf
took the stage, we were shown a video
by Ásdís Sif Gunnarsdóttir to the song,
‘Innundir skinni’, the first single off
Ólöf’s new album of the same name
(to be released this fall). Like a mis-
matched collage of old home videos, the
video didn’t portray a linear storyline or
match up with the music, but it was a
pleasant enough accompaniment to the
song. The video can be viewed on Ólöf’s
MySpace. Ólöf also opened her live per-
formance with the track, and the per-
formance was far more interesting than
the video. Ólöf’s wavering voice, precise
fingerpicking, and wide-eyed gaze gar-
nered everyone’s attention as she played
a mix of original songs in Icelandic and
English as well as a few covers.
For a few tunes, Ólöf asked the audi-
ence (in English so everyone would par-
ticipate) to sing the melodic line while
she sang a harmony part. One of my
favourites of the night was ‘Crazy Car’,
which Ólöf explained was written for a
friend, urging her come back to Iceland
from New York. “Please think inside
the box/Only for a moment/ We have
made it circle-shaped for you/ Don‘t go
in the crazy car.”
Another favourite was ‘Girlfriends’,
which Ólöf played on a charango, a
South American, 10-stringed instru-
ment with a body made from an ar-
madillo shell. The instrument never
seemed like a novelty; Ólöf’s quick
fingerpicking complimented her vocal
intricacies. Ólöf also covered a lesser-
known Arthur Russell song, ‘Close My
Eyes’, which added a nice contrast to her
own music.
Ólöf’s songs have often been de-
scribed as ‘lullaby-like’ and ‘other-
worldly’; however, in her live perfor-
mance, Ólöf delivers vocal lines with
distinct lucidity, and her chord progres-
sions don’t stray too far from their tradi-
tional folk roots. Reminiscent of a more
melodic Joanna Newsom, Ólöf treats
her voice like another instrument. She
manages to step outside the mediocre
singer-songwriter box by constantly
building and changing dynamics with-
in a song.
Ólöf Arnalds has plenty of room to
grow out of the creative space she has
already made for herself. Hopefully
she will continue to play in places like
the Nordic House that allow for the in-
timacy of her music to fill the room.
Songs From Armadillo Skin
EMILy BURTON
jULIA STAPLES
Ólöf Arnalds
The Nordic House, June 29th 2010