Rökkurró
Í annan heim
12 Tónar
When talking about music, the word "Icelandic" has come to mean a lot more than where the band members hail from. With the consistently brilliant works of Sigur Rós, the talents of Mùm, and Björk's wonderfully bizarre offerings, "Icelandic" has come to simultaneously define an ethereal, arctic expanse and an idiosyncratic and otherworldly landscape, with any deviations to one's conception of the term often being easily reconciled and folded into the wide-reaching designation. While "Í annan heim" may lean more towards a more traditional presentation of melancholy pop than their kinsfolk, Rökkurró will not be heralded as the band who broke the Icelandic mold, though this isn't to disparage their talents or sound. "Í annan heim" is home to quite a bit of quality songwriting, though, as a whole, the despondence is not always paired with intrigue -- the compositions, while beautiful, often pass without having convinced us to follow. The album does open up with repeated listening, and closer "Svamur" makes a strong case for one to start the album over, but I wouldn't be surprised if some never make it to those final moments -- those that find themselves wanting another pass through, however, will be happily rewarded.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
