(Photo Credit - Anna Maggý)
Advance Review - Ásgeir - Bury The Moon (February 7, 2020) via One Little Indian
Many people throughout the United States know about Of Monster & Men and Björk, but another artist, Ásgeir, has the bestselling debut album in Icelandic history. With the release of his third album and an upcoming March United States tour, people need to start learning his name.
Listening to Ásgeir’s Bury The Moon is like listening to my childhood from a distance, or at least what I would like to imagine my soundtrack being. The lyrics are reflective; the music is a beautiful mix of acoustic and minimal electronic, and it is a cohesive story.
Starting with a catchy “Pictures,” Bury The Moon reminds me of the soundtrack for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It is both peaceful and uplifting, while hinting at the struggles of life. Listen to the guitar work at the beginning of “Youth;” It emulates my anxiety like the high pitch metalic ticking sound in Radiohead’s “Staircase.” However, Ásgeir’s voice is calming like a good friend.
The story of Bury The Moon comes from Ásgeir’s album building skills. He takes the listener through ups and downs, imitating life. “Breathe,” the third song of the album, is the perfect example of conflict in an extremely listenable song. It starts with simple piano chords against an electronic alarm circling and searching in the background. It is further layered by the confidence of a narrator who knows, “That wherever I go, I’ll find my way home.” The song is followed by “Eventide,” that moment that I could gather myself, before “Lazy Giants” takes us back into the conflict. Back and forth. “Overlay,” the love song followed by “Rattled Snow,” the song that contains the most electronic sound on the album. “Turn Gold To Sand” with its blues feel and a slight build in “Living Water” to the final conflict and climax in “Until Daybreak.” Ásgeir rides conflict like waves through the entire album until he takes us ashore with “Bury The Moon.”
Final thoughts: The more I listen to this album, the more I like it. I cannot wait for his US tour and hope he comes through Cleveland.
Favorite songs: “Youth,” “Breathe,” and “Rattled Snow”
Rating - 4.5 out of 5 – This is the album that is going to get Ásgeir the recognition he deserves.