Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir makes his English language debut

Having achieved a triple platinum status in Iceland, Ásgeir is ready to reach a larger audience thanks to John Grant’s translation

Ásgeir – In The Silence 7/10

Out on 27th January 2014 via One Little Indian

Ásgeir is a 21 year old Icelandic singer-songwriter whose debut album
Dyrd í dauðathogn
has broken all records in his home country to become critically acclaimed  and hugely successful by going triple platinum and outselling even Björk and Sigur Rós. A year after releasing his debut album in Iceland, the English language version is now available worldwide under the name of
In The Silence with the English translation by John Grant. Produced by Gudmundur Kristinn Jonsson,
In The Silence is a collection of pleasant and mellow songs which transport the listener into the wilds of the Iceland’s spectacular volcano and glacier-shaped landscapes. The heavenly and dreamy atmospheres that Ásgeir evokes with his wailing falsetto reminiscent of Bon Iver blend in total harmony with melodies that bring to mind the likes of Sigur Rós and Alt-J. Musically the album is a mixture of two genres: songs like the title track and
Summer Guest are folk songs filled of acoustic guitars that recall artists like Fleet Foxes whereas other tracks like opener
Higher or
Going Home contain more polished and slick electronic  production elements which are remindful of James Blake. Latest single
Torrent is probably the most outstanding track with its upbeat crescendo of piano and drums that makes you think of  Snow Patrol’s
Run or Coldplay’s
Fix You while keeping a Nordic touch. With his ability to bring depth, beauty and magnificence in each track, Ásgeir has proved he is ready to reach a larger audience than the Icelandic  population. Having said this, the magic that artists such as Bon Iver can deliver is somewhat still missing in the album, however considering his really young age Ásgeir has surely a long time ahead to reach that point.
http://asgeirmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/asgeirmusic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZd-L1-Hi-4

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