Similar to watching a movie after reading the book it's based on is listening to a record in English after the same in its native language.
I admit that's not a flawless comparsion, but it is how it felt when giving In The Silence the first spin. I discovered Ásgeirs debut Dýrð í dauðaþögn (then released under the artist name Ásgeir Trausti), which is entirely sung in Icelandic, earlier this year. It has kept streaming out of my speakers and earplugs throughout the year without me actually understanding a single word of it. Why? you probably want to know. Two reasons: 1. I'm totally fascinated by the sounds of the Icelandic language. 2. I'm not a lyric person. Interesting lyrics can certainly be a bonus, but can never be a replacement for poor music.
Even though a record like Dýrð í dauðaþögn is heavily dominated by Icelandic lyrics I can enjoy it perfectly fine without understanding them. And to me this proves the true quality of Ásgeir; he's able to hold on to my attention time and time again simply because of his music qualities.
Moving on to In The Silence:
Although his music often reflects his silent and shy personality, there can be an incredible drive in his music. Listen to 'King And Cross'. This is a modern electro pop anthem driven by a beat, a guitar and his singing; all of them perfectly in sync with each other. The energy here is fierce. Now, that might not occur to you at first listen, but start by paying attention to each beat and how his voice keeps on driving the song further and further. It's a song lasting only three and a half minutes, but this loop could go on forever, really.
Then there is the sincerety of Bon Iver in 'On That Day' and 'Was There Nothing', the poppy epicness of Jónsi in 'Torrent' and sometimes even the artsy electro approach of James Blake like in 'Hide Your Head In The Snow'. But most of all there is a silent kind of joyfulness to Ásgeirs music. I love this variation between his different qualities. While one song can be quite silent, the next can dive straight into a joyful climax. And several of his songs actually do both, like 'In Harmony' where the gentle guitar driven song suddenly bursts into a cacaphony of voices, trumpets and drums.
Ásgeir: You know exactly how to transform harmony into music. Please continue.
