Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.11.2015, Page 38

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Album
Reviews
Let’s be straight from the start
on this one: it’s not all indie-
rock, quite often it’s the other
way around; “Brick Thief”, the
final track on this grower of an EP, provides
more crunch than you’d anticipate from
the Big Country-ish opener “What We
Get”. That first song showcases the
band’s propensity for the smooth guitar
lead line over a mix of jangly riffs and
more grungy guitar sounds, with tales of
urban living and kitchen-sink moments
ready to tell the story.
There’s a tinge of regretful energy to
“Death Of The Party”, which in the hands
of another band could easily head down
a pop-punk cul-de-sac but thankfully
there’s a little more to Rythmatik than
that. Whilst that noodly lead can sound a
little dislocated from the rest of the song
on occasion, there are enough ideas
there to speak to a bright future.
The unison intro to “Sleepyhead”
is further evidence that this is a band
that understands the possibilities of
dynamic interplay over a neo-dance beat.
“Alabaster” sports harmonic moments
and guitar arrangement that are delicately
put together to leave the vocal prominent
before the epic chorus kicks in, and the
aforementioned “Brick Thief” brings it
all together with a much more Muse-y
sensibility. Plenty more to come, I reckon,
from these chaps.
- JOE SHOOMAN
Rythmatik
‘Epilepsy EP’
rythmatik.bandcamp.com
Well-constructed
indie-rock-indie
The jazz quartet ADHD has a
stellar track record for quality
and consistency. Their latest
release, ‘5’, is no different, and
like their other recordings, is conveniently
labeled numerically for easy reference!
The song structures are tight, consisting
of almost minimal phrases and ideas,
as opposed to extended solos and
improvisations. Some songs even end
where one might expect a return to a
chorus. No one player outshines another
in ADHD, which is impressive as the
musicians are all staples of the Icelandic
music scene in their own rights.
The tenor sax in “Sveðjan” quietly
starts the album and the atmosphere
remains moody but calm for its duration.
The percussive backbone of the album is
drummer Magnús Tryggvason Eliassen,
who gives tracks like “Free Angelo” a
loose tango pulse and “Jörg Theinelt”
a silky, almost unnoticeable irregular
five meter. The track “Flugzeug” gets a
little grittier, but even then, the intensity
only grows to a tolerable point before
dissipating.
Coming up with new material might
be effortless for these guys. After all,
they’ve made five albums in a relatively
short span of time, along with many solo
ventures. On ‘5’, there’s enough ambience
to settle you in for the evening, perhaps
cosying up to a late-night cocktail. But
there’s also enough creative activity that
it never lulls you to sleep—you’re always
looking forward to the next idea that’s just
around the corner. - NATHAN HALL
ADHD
'5'
facebook.com/AdHd.is
Late-night jazz that surprises
and entertains
Akureyri native Davíð Hólm Júlíusson,
has released several EPs as Daveeth
since 2004. The new album is a genre-
defyingly eclectic collection of sounds
and sequences, reflecting the five years
and vastly different places throughout
Iceland and China across which it was
recorded.
As each song races in and out
from frenetic, snare-heavy thumping
to 16-bit silliness, much of the album is
not dance-friendly, with a few notable
exceptions. This rapid pace provides a
kind of narrative that is better simply sat-
and-listened-to, almost like a soundtrack.
It is at points both sophisticated in its
instrumental complexity and endearing in
its more amateurish drum machinations.
It sounds like a soundtrack to a video
game I want to play.
Overall ‘Mono Lisa’ is an
appropriately vibrant and quirky debut
LP coming from a musician who “likes to
use electronic devices to make toast but
also music.” If nothing else, it will certainly
keep you playing it. Whether you’ve ever
wondered what a symphony of tiny
robots would sound like or you need a
new record to put on when rescuing
princesses, this is worth at least three
listens. Whatever it lacks in cohesiveness,
it pays back with a digital sword—and
interest.
Daveeth
'Mono Lisa'
daveeth.bandcamp.com
A soundtrack to the
video game you wish
existed
Re-visit!