Iceland review - 2016, Page 12

Floating Harmonies
is the sizzling
debut album of
Júníus Meyvant, the
pseudonym used
by Unnar Gísli
S i g u r m u n d s s o n
from Vestmanna-
eyjar (the Westman
Islands). Starting
with the instrumen-
tal but hugely brassy
‘Be a Man,’ the
album plows a sim-
ilar furrow to that
of fellow singer/songwriters Michael Kiwanuka and Ray
Lamontagne. Unnar may describe it as “freak folk,” but
luxurious strings and brass render it much, much more than
that. It’s a delicious surprise. This is never more the case
than on single ‘Color Decay.’ ‘Gold Laces’ is also enhanced
by a generous approach to production. Its real stand-out is
the blisteringly catchy ‘Signals’ which deserves to be played
loud and repeatedly, all over the globe, beamed out straight
from Vestmannaeyjar. BY EDWARD HANCOX.
Moonstone: The Boy who
Never Was by award-
winning author Sjón,
originally published as
Mánasteinn: Drengurinn
sem aldrei var til in 2013,
came out this year in
English translation by
Victoria Cribb. This
short, historical novel
takes place in Reykjavík in
1918, describing the life of
16-year-old Máni Steinn,
an orphan and school
drop-out who struggles
in society. This is a dark
period in Icelandic history
due to a volcanic eruption
in Katla, followed by the calamity of the Spanish flu and a coal
shortage caused by the distant war. Moonstone is a book that
stirs your every emotion and stimulates your senses with its
powerful, poetic description of a painful subject. It is master-
fully written, succeeding in weaving together historical details
with a touching description of a boy who may never have been,
but who always will remain with you once you’ve read his tale.
BY VALA HAFSTAÐ.
10 ICELAND REVIEW
Inside a Volcano – The Rise of Icelandic Football
(Jökullinn logar) is a documentary by Sölvi
Tryggvason and Sævar Guðmundsson about
the incredible journey of the Icelandic men’s
national football team to qualification for
the 2016 UEFA European Championship
in France. Football fan or not, you cannot
but admire the players’ determination and
share their joy as they progress through
the qualifications to the final tournament,
famously becoming the smallest nation ever
to do so. The film gives a unique insight
into their unwavering friendship, solidarity
and cooperation. Clips from their youth
provide a glimpse of how large a role the
sport has played in their lives and what it
has taken to reach this far. The documen-
tary intertwines news of the 2014-2015
Holuhraun volcanic eruption in Iceland
with that of a team on fire, kindling an
explosion of interest in Icelandic football.
BY VALA HAFSTAÐ.
R E V I E W S
▶ FRIENDS ON FIRE
▶ WESTMAN ISLANDS CALLING ▶ STRUCK BY MOONSTONE
CULTURAL CURIOSITIES
Our critics take a look at three recent releases: Júníus Meyvant’s debut album Floating Harmonies;
Inside a Volcano, a documentary about the rise of the Icelandic men’s football team;
and Moonstone, a historical novel by Sjón.
In Iceland, all electricity is generated from renewable sources;
falling water, the heat of the earth and the force of the wind.
Welcome to the land of renewable energy.
landsvirkjun.com/visitus
Take your photos using
a steam powered phone