Mammút

With “Karkari,” this young quintet from Reykjavík basically follows the same direction they started on their self-titled debut two years ago. Their fundamentals – guitar-based indie-rock – have stayed the same but the body of their work seems to be less experimental. It is catchy melodies (like right at the beginning in the refrain of the opener “Endir”) that set this album’s character apart. This does not make “Karkari” a superficial pop-record. The songs are still complex, sometimes eccentric, and packed with ideas. It just gives you the feeling that the band got better and more to the point. The earthy production underlines the strong points of this band – primarily, the outstanding singing and excellent guitar work. The album also has a few shortcomings, for example, the quite lame “Dyradóttir” or the subsequent title-track with its somehow half-baked motif. However, apart from such smaller flaws, “Karkari” is a very, very good indie-rock record.

THE VERDICT
Very good indie record with a few flaws.

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