Published May 4, 2007
As is often the case with artists, the worse they fare in their personal lives, the better they sound professionally. In 1984 singer Bubbi was at his nadir, having released two flops the same year and just about to start the first of his many trips to detox. The desperation is most audible on Svartur gítar, about having a conversation with the digital clock on your VCR in the middle of the night. Bubbi, Iceland’s first true rock star with all that that entails, sings about the press on 10.000 króna frétt and the trappings of fame on Leyndarmál frægðarinnar, but retains his political side on Bönnum verkföll and Launaþrællinn. Bubbi tends to work best with Mike Pollock at his side, who gets a solo spot on Fallen Angels, while Bubbi himself attempts Danish on the title track. The album barely lets up the aggression for the classic ballad Blindsker, and is probably the best rock album recorded (mostly) in Icelandic, besting even Bubbi’s own debut. VG
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