Ólöf Arnalds - Innundir Skinni

Ólöf Arnalds
Innundir Skinni [Within Skin]

***

There’s a pretty amusing interview with Ms Arnalds (singer, recent mother and ex-Múm member) in this month’s issue of UK street rag The Stool Pigeon, in which she immediately declares her personal life to be off limits – despite the fact that many of the songs on her second album, Innundir Skinni, deal with the deeply personal matter of her father dying. Not that you can tell what she’s singing about most of the time without recourse to the lyric sheet, as most songs here are rendered in her native Icelandic. Indeed, even those few songs which are sung in English are nigh on incomprehensible thanks to her sweetly lilting accent and Joanna Newsom-esque delivery.

There are some lovely moments here regardless. ‘Svif Birki (Tree Love)’ for example, which mixes her creamy enunciation of the Icelandic tongue with an understated acoustic guitar, prismatic vocal harmonisations occasionally rippling through the simple texture. Cloister something like ‘The Sprout And The Bean’ off Milk-Eyed Mender away within a smoke-filled hut while an ash-strewn winter rages outside, and you’ll be close.

Most songs here feature spare acoustic backings that provide a gently swimming complement to Arnalds gentle voice. It’s a delicate balance, the backing vocals provided by an under-utilised Björk on ‘Surrender’ – not quite avoiding the obvious risk of overwhelming Arnalds with her turbo-charged lungs.

An undoubtedly attractive listen, Arnalds ultimately comes off a touch precious – her seriousness is unleavened by any sense of play or release, providing little counter to the weight of her emotions.


First published in The Brag, Iss. 383, October 11th 2010