Produced by Gudmundur Kristinn Jonsson, Dyrd í dauðathogn (‘In the Silence’) immediately recalls the heavenly vocals of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and light electronic touch of British glitch pop sensation James Blake. In Iceland, the unusual poetry of lyrics have attracted almost as much attention as the music itself, in part because they are mostly written by Ásgeir’s 72 year old father.
The songs themselves, however, are all Ásgeir: light and airy, inset with his distinctive melancholic voice their vibrancy elevates their appeal way beyond the folktronica tag.
‘Imagine a slightly more idiosyncratic Ben Howard – or to look at it from the opposite side, a somewhat less esoteric Antony Hegarty or Jeff Buckley – becoming the biggest star in the country. That’s what Ásgeir is in Iceland.’ – The Guardian
‘His knack for melody and gorgeous harmonies coupled with his amazing sense of rhythm and virtuosity on acoustic guitar should make him a household name, no matter what language he’s speaking.’ – John Grant
