We took a little road trip this afternoon to check out the new Icelandic music. Here’s what we found: Árstíðir covering the queen of sadness Lana Del Rey, infectious new Inspector Spacetime, Nanna’s latest solo single and more. Scroll on for our favourite new tracks of the week and follow our Spotify playlist for more!
Árstíðir – Summertime Sadness (Lana Del Rey cover)
Out February 17
Lana Del Rey’s dramatic alt-pop meets Icelandic indie-folk as Árstíðir dress up classic hit in a new suit, or rather in winter coats. Emphasising the band’s vocal harmonising talents, the masculine-folk take on Lana’s signature sad-babe style hits on a different kind of emotional level. The music video for the cover, featuring Unnur Björk Jóhannsdóttir of Svartþoka, calls back to Lana’s use of soft-glow retro visuals, 60s-esque experimental film styles, with a loose storyline of innocent love and ennui. Except instead of LA in the summer it’s Iceland in the winter. Like if LDR came from Grafarvogur. JB/RX
Ruxpin & Stafrænn Hákon – Meet Me In Forever
Out February 20
Giving us just the chill vibes we need this week is the new collaborative album by Ruxpin & Stafrænn Hákon. Both longtime active artists have garnered niche followings in their own right, and are now blending their unique takes on electronica (Ruxpin) and neo-rock (Stafrænn Hákon). The result feels somewhat like if Boards of Canada and Sonic Youth dropped acid together and had a really lovely trip. A little instrumental-Radiohead-ish. Their styles blend seamlessly and complement each other beautifully, really showing how much this collaboration meant to both. RX
Nanna – Crybaby
Out February 22
Don’t cry; Nanna just released “Crybaby”! It’s the lead single from her upcoming album How to Start a Garden, out May 5, co-produced by Nanna along with Aaron Dessner and Josh Kaufman. The melodic sounds of the guitar give the song a dark and recognisable undertone and clearly convey the song’s message. In the music video, directed by Þóra Hilmarsdóttir, Nanna’s atmosphere are reminiscent of the viral dance from the popular series Wednesday. GVDM
Baldur – DAMN IT.
Out February 23
Guitarist, singer, producer, one-man band! What can’t this guy do? Baldur is a jack-of-all-trades, having worked with bands RYBA and Flesh Machine. Baldur releases his first single, “DAMN IT.” of his upcoming album. The single is a swinging, bass-thumping amalgam of harmonised vocals, Kevin Parker-style guitars and saxophones that sound like they’re from Blackstar. JB
Inspector Spacetime – Kysstu Mig (feat. Unnsteinn)
Out February 24
Inspector Spacetime are back with a new hit! Their new release “Kysstu Mig” (literally ‘kiss me’) is a duet with Unnsteinn that combines infectious melody and a pulsing electronic beat. Whoever is behind the synths in Inspector Spacetime, definitely knows what they are doing. Our bet is that this song will be blasting from Reykjavík cafes and clubs all-weekend long, and, frankly, we won’t judge. Beware: if you hear somebody screaming ‘kysstu mig’ at you, make sure they mean it. Consent is cool! IZ
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