They won the national battle of the bands competition in their home place of Iceland in 2010 and haven’t looked back since. The six-piece kooky band are being hailed as the new (and improved?) Arcade Fire and have already cooked up a musical storm in America after they were played on local radio. They are now signed with the Universal Music Group after a scramble from several record labels.
But they are now ready to hit the UK after their 4 song EP “Little Talks” was released in the beginning of 2012 and had the critics stunned. It was just a little preview to their full length debut album “My Head is an Animal” which is due to be released here on the 27th August.
They will be performing their new album at the famous Electric Ballroom in London on the 22nd August to a sold out crowd, and it just doesn’t stop there. The indie band will be taking to the NME/ Radio 1 stage at Reading and Leeds festival next week where I am sure their fan base will continue to expand.
It is hard to compare their sound to anyone else’s (apart from Arcade Fire, of course) in this kind of genre, they seem to be one of a kind. You have six different voices singing so their sound is different with hints of similarity track by track dependant on who decides to take the lead.
But it is co-singer/ guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir (who began as solo acoustic act Songbird) and co-singer/ guitarist Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson who are responsible for the pretty, whimsical and fantastical sound of the band. It is Little Talks and Love Love Love that have made the band so popular, Nanna still has her acoustic sound and brings the mellow tone to every song.
“Little Talks” sees the two singers come together and create a haunting but beautiful track. With soft “heys” heard from the background from the other four singers and the accordion playing it is a truly unique sound and it seems they enjoy creating it. It is not a sad song more of a fairytale, and that is what this Icelandic band are all about, taking you out of reality and into your own fantasy.
Don’t take my word for it, give it a listen…