Bury The Moon
One Little Indian, 2020
8/10
An Iceland artist, Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson returns with a 3rd album, where a return to form has the long running musician bringing in folk sounds to a highly atmospheric record that he recorded by himself with just a guitar, keyboard and bare recording equipment.
“Pictures” starts the listen with soft keys and high vocals in the cautious, artist approach to indie-rock, and “Youth” continues that lead with plenty ambience amid hypnotic melodies that build into an emotive setting.
Elsewhere, “Overlay” flows with layered vocals and a stirring atmosphere of indie-folk beauty that even brings some electronica in, while “Rattled Snow” recruits a cinematic quality where moody strings and a darker approach unfolds with electronic manipulation. “Living Water”, one of the most intriguing tunes, then takes a simpler approach with piano, agile percussion and a calming delivery.
Near the end, “Until Daybreak”, one of the most adventurous selections, then finds a firm groove amid busy instrumentation, and “Bury The Moon” ends the listen with horns and a danceable tempo that’s unexpected but settles in nicely.
Though the record was made with a minimalist vision, Bury The Moon is subtly powerful, extremely moving and full of exceptional introspection under a folk-tronica template. Put Ásgeir on a list next to Bjork and Sigur Rós as Icelandic artists you should be familiar with, cause his atypical formula certainly warrants it.
Travels well with: Sóley- Ask The Deep; Roo Panes- Paperweights