Ólöf Arnalds - Sudden Elevation

Scheinbar haben wir Island Wochen bei Platten vor Gericht, denn zwischen all die Top of the Blog-Posts haben sich hier mit Hjaltalín, Pascal Pinon und nun Ólöf Arnalds bereits drei Künstler von dieser Insel eingeschlichen. 

Aufgrund des bei uns nicht gerade geläufigen Vornamens Ólöf und der fehlenden, für Island typischen Nachnamensendung -dottir bzw. -son bei Arnalds sind Rückschlüsse auf das Geschlecht der Künstlerin bzw. des Künstlers zunächst nicht möglich. Das Plattencover und die ersten gesungenen Töne helfen dann schnell weiter. "Sudden Elevation" ist nach "Við Og Við" (2007) und "Innundir Skinni" (2010) das insgesamt dritte Album der 32-jährigen Isländerin und ihre erste Platte, die komplett in englischer Sprache vorgetragen wird. Wer Freude an ätherischem und kapriziösem Gesang hat, sich von Joanna Newsom, Kate Bush und Sufjan Stevens verzaubern lässt, und sich beim Hören der Musik gern in isländische Holzhütten oder mittelalterliche Kemenaten versetzen lässt, der sollte "Sudden Elevation" vielleicht eine Chance geben und die Finanzierung dieser Platte bzw. von Video-Aufnahmen, einer Special Edition und Konzerten über Pledgemusic in den nächsten Tagen vollständig zu sichern helfen. 

"Sudden Elevation" wurde in Reykjavik und in einer Hütte in Hvalfjörður  aufgenommen und von Skúli Sverrisson (Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed) und Ólöf Arnalds, die Geige, klassischen Gesang und Komposition an der Iceland Academy of the Arts studierte, produziert. Unterstützer erhalten die Platte sofort, alle übrigen müssen sich noch bis zum 08. Februar gedulden.

Ólöf Arnalds - "all a little grim" from Bruno Granato on Vimeo.

It falls more into the trad-folk genre and there is very little experimentation here but it all seems effortlessly put together, which instils it with a certain warmth that makes listening to the record a pleasure. It’s highly accomplished and her tender vocal fits the softly picked guitars, brushed drums and strings perfectly.

Lyrically, Arnalds has opted to write exclusively in English for the first time, which should open her up to a wider audience. It’s a wise decision and the poetic, bittersweet lyrics evoke a deep yet unstable love – of a partner and the wider world. “Break of dawn I feel as if my body has returned,” she sings on ‘Return Again’. “Motionless I memorise the beautiful, burning sands of your presence,” increasing the positive emphasis before: “How difficult of me to fall in love with you,” devastates.

The pace remains slow and reflective throughout, the melancholic mood hugely effective on the listener.

The multi-layered vocals of ‘A Little Grim’ help make it a stand-out track. “Let me assure you love will turn out some way,” sings Arnalds with a beguiling confidence.It’s the sort of album that would sound at home on Fence Records, and there are strong notes of Joanna Newsome and Sufjan Stevens evident throughout.

(echoes and dust)

The way that her voice sits within the music gives the album a charming, up-in-the-mountains freshness. The exotic warble of Arnalds’ high notes is unlike anything to be heard on a Saturday night television contest, particularly in playful opener ‘German Fields’. Further highlights include ‘Return Again’, a pretty if sad number that plucks the heartstrings, whereas ‘Treat Her Kindly’ has — perhaps expectedly — a reflective, earnest quality. Right in the middle of the album, ‘A Little Grim’ features a beautiful layered-voice part, giving this delicate song a choral, fairytale air. Arnalds’ musical upbringing shines throughout the record, which is inventive, emotional and at all times done in her unique way. Such sincerity and impulsiveness make Sudden Elevation an appealing collection of songs.

This is a satisfying album and whilst Arnalds will doubtless carry on recording and performing in her mother tongue, there is much here to suggest she will be just as successful when she next ventures into English. Her flowing lyrics spring from joyous experimentation, as is so often found when an artist is creating with the freedom that comes with writing in a different language. What is more, Arnalds looks set to continue to inspire as she explores her magical, eerily uplifting creative niche.

(Silent Radio)