When ‘Airy Met Fairy - Glow
CD / DL
Out Now
Contemporary Nordic duo release debut album.
Describing vocalist Thorunn Egilsdottir as a Bjork sound-alike
is lazy journalism, being Icelandic does not automatically grant that comparison
and any review doing so should be instantly dismissed and, any mention of Kate
Bush is insulting to any singer who happens to be female, it shows lack of
imagination. Instead think more of
Norwegian Ane Brun, delicate tones, sometimes sounding twee but always
enthralling, like a childs nursery rhyme or bedtime song. Accompanied by Mike Koster from Luxembourg
the partnership of the delightfully named When ‘Airy Met Fairy is complete.
Glow won’t burst your eardrums, its subtlety at its finest –
tinkling keys and tantalising synth swirls provide an album that will demand
multiple listens. It’s stunning in its
simplicity and beautiful at the same time.
It is sleepy and calming and lazy and, it glows. Thorunn has a voice that will warm the
cockles of any heart, it would soften the hardest of souls. Glow is the kind of album that will be heard
on your rise to Heaven (should you venture in that direction) and will be
accompanied by harp playing angels and banks of choral cherubs as you
gracefully float around the emptiness and tranquillity.
Formed in 2015 and ‘discovered’ the following year by
Icelandic musician Bardi Johannsson their debut single, Intoxicated appears on
Glow early doors. It has a rare thing on
the album, a drumbeat, which entices a toe-tap from the first beat and soon has
a catchy vocal and chorus which is decidedly difficult to shake. Don’t be surprised to find yourself humming
it around the office to your bewildered work colleagues or attempting to raise
your voice to match the scales provided.
The intention of When ‘Airy Met Fairy with Glow was to create
an album of near nothingness and step away
from the overproduced, epic sounding music of today and it is mission accomplished. Shimmering and glistening like an overflowing
bowl of glitter, it is a quite delightful piece of work. Picking highlights is difficult as each of the
twelve tracks nestling in at a short thirty-three minutes is worthy of
mention. The bass accompanying Until Your
Season Dries is heart wrenching and the album opener 123 Magic is pure joy.
Glow is music for relaxing, and maybe meditation. It will help you drift away to a soothing and
palliative placec that you maybe didn’t think still exists. It is, quite simply, a work of art and a
feather pillowed blow to the face should there ever be one. Adorable.
Website
Published on Louder Than War 11/07/18 - here
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