The Icelandic entity Seiðlæti recently released their debut album, Þagnarþulur. The folk music duo – Uni and Reynir – interprets there seventeen poems with minimalistic, ritualistic percussions conveyed by a total of six musicians. Right off the bat, I have to draw some easy comparison between Uni’s voice and world-famous Icelandic singer Björk. Both voices share some timbral similarities, especially when referring to the less experimental, folk side of the latter. Maybe it’s the inherent sonority of íslenska that bring the two closer in my head, but whether that is the case or not, I want you to know that I highly respect the work of Uni and Reynar on this album. The melodies are quite simply enchanting and transport you to mystical Ísland in another, bygone era. The harmonies are also very effective and nicely done. The percussions are usually very minimal, using mostly a handheld leather drum, and anything else would have been detrimental to the immersion. Þagnarþulur is a wonderful and epic album of pure Icelandic folk, ready to enjoy.
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