Ruddinn: I Need A Vacation

Ruddinn is a one-piece band starring Bertel Ólafsson, who squeezes pop, rock, indie and electro into the blender at his home studio in Hafnarfjörður. The result is a strange cocktail of ‘80s electronica with guitars. On this third album, ‘I Need A Vacation,’ the monotonous voice of einzelgänger Ruddinn is accompanied by the distinct voice of Heiða Eiríks (known for her work with Unun and now Hellvar). With the exception of two songs that lack the female touch, the male and female voices balance well over the nine track album. The album sounds like Unun attending an ‘80s Britpop party with The Human League, New Order and Pet Shop Boys, remixed by the GusGus of the ‘90s. My favourite songs on the record are ‘Too Distant For Us,’ ‘Cover The Distance’ and the title track, ‘I Need A Vacation.’ This is definitely Ruddinn’s best album so far.