From Iceland — Schpilkas So Long Sonja

Published July 22, 2005

A modest effort from an extremely popular local Klezmer band, So Long Sonja is a good keepsake, but not a good album. The problem is that the songs rarely leave their tight constraints… and the energy of the live shows isn’t captured in this disc. On two impressive tracks, guest singer Ragnheidur Gröndal adds a refined melancholy that seems not quite in keeping with the Schpilkas’ live show, but that is immensely listenable on the CD.