Reykjavík Grapevine - 24.09.2010, Qupperneq 31

19
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 15 — 2010
Music | CD Reviews
Ólöf Arnalds sounds less mainstream
than other Icelandic singer-songwriters
such as Emiliana Torrini or Lay Low;
however, her music remains no less
relatable. She pieces songs together with
more craftsmanship than other acoustic
musicians concerned with just verses,
bridges, and choruses. ‘Innundir skinni’, a
collection of nine well-composed songs,
is no exception. Ólöf smartly chose Kjar-
tan Sveinsson of Sigur Rós to reprise his
role as producer on her second album.
As a result, ‘Innundir skinni’ sounds more
polished than ‘Við og við’, with more
instrumentation while still staying true to
Ólöf´s modest acoustic sound.
Stand out tracks include ‘Crazy Car’,
‘Vinkonur’, ‘Svif birki’ and ‘Surrender’.
‘Crazy Car’ showcases Ólöf's talent for
writing simple yet compelling lyrics in
English, while ‘Vinkonur’ and ‘Svif Birki’
are excellent minimalist compositions
featuring finger-picked, stringed instru-
ments. And Ólöf holds her own singing a
duet with Björk on ‘Surrender’. The songs
without lyrics (in Icelandic or English),
‘Vinur minn’ and ‘Allt í gúddí’, don’t sound
as finished as the rest of the tracks on
the album.
Ólöf treats her voices as another
instrument and are not afraid to indulge
in their higher pitched vocal ranges.
Never stagnant or dull, ‘Innundir skinni’
conjures a number of moods—playful,
curious, melancholy, ethereal—making
the album a solid second release. It’s an
album you can listen to over and over and
pick out new sounds and instruments
every time.
- EMILy BuRTON
Amiina venture into new musical horizons
with ‘puzzle’, their second full-length al-
bum. The male infusion of Magnús Tryg-
gvason Elíassen on drums and electronic
artist Kippi Kaninus brings a notably big-
ger, gutsier sound, progressing from the
lighter, string based arrangements many
might be familiar with from their previous
work, as well as their collaborations with
Sigur Rós.
The albums’ fusion of drums, elec-
tronic compositions and subtle strings
makes for a stunningly good effect. The
opening track ‘ásinn’, perhaps one of the
best, combines fresh electronic beats
with an almost oriental accordion riff, in a
blend that excites and surprises in equal
measure. It’s one of those tinglers that
get the hair standing on the back of the
neck. On ‘over and again’, delicate vocals
and strings are cleverly offset with a well-
balanced drumbeat, similarly on ‘púsl’.
Amiina manage to maintain this momen-
tum and, enjoyably darker, atmosphere
for much of the album, particularly on the
track ‘sicsak’.
However, just at the mid-way point
when its got you right in the palm of its
hands and you’re just dying to know what
happens next, the album pulls back into
more familiar territory, with a notable in-
crease in the use of twinkly glockenspiel-
like bells and saws. A bit of a downer
after the previous highs, it’s almost like
they got a bit scared of how expansive it
sounded and pulled back into their com-
fort zone. This feeling peaks at ‘mambó’,
which with its electronic drone, repetitive
tambourine and lackadaisical ‘la-la-
laaing’ makes for a boring track and the
albums low point. Overall though, Amiina
have dipped their toes into a really fresh
sound with ‘puzzle’, and when they just
let go and really commit to that transition
it works incredibly well.
- EIMEAR fITzGERALD
Ólöf Arnalds Amiina
Innundir skinni puzzle
www.olofarnalds.com
Acoustic and mellow, but not boring
amiina
Exciting, evocative melodies
As winter draws closer and the thermometers start to veer south, it might be hard to
imagine standing in a cornfield in summer with a gentle breeze blowing through your
hair. However listening to ‘In the sun’, the fifth track from Amiina’s new album, it’s almost
possible. For just over four minutes, gently plucked strings and delicate vocals twist and
turn beautifully through its subtle drum beat. The deep hum of double bass from the
midway point, and uplifting horn addition all combine to create a wonderfully evocative
track. It’s insulation for the soul. Ef
Amiina
TRACK Of THE ISSuE
In The Sun

amiina
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