They call it the land of fire and ice and Bjork.
A bit sweeping, perhaps but this Icelandic combo are blessed/cursed with a considerable albatross – the distinctive rolling of the ‘r’s of frontwoman Jófríður Ákadóttir, which give her vocal the decided feel of Reykjavik’s most famous dottir.
All that aside, this is a downbeat collection of electronica, where synths sweep in and out and trip-hop beats propel Ákadóttir’s yearning drawl. Tracks like ‘R4vin’ and ‘3y’ bounce along quite merrily, while ‘T4ngled’ evoke images of stark landscapes and fiery volcanoes.
Indeed, it may be the weeks of darkness contrasted with the midnight sun that make for enough light and shade to help us forget the other cliches.
(This review originally appeared in the Forfar Dispatch)