Words by

Helga Þórey Jónsdóttir

@findhelga

Just when we thought Reykjavík’s music scene had been completely taken over by hip-hop and ethereal electronica, post-psychedelic soft-rockers Andy Svarthol arrive with a playful yet incredibly sophisticated debut song called ‘Írena Sírena’. The vocal harmony of brothers Egill and Bjarki Hreinn Viðarsson is reminiscent of the soft sound of 60s bands such as The Zombies and The Beach Boys, while the music brings to mind Brit Pop bands of the 90s and early 2000s.

The video accompanying ‘Írena Sírena’ on YouTube is a montage compiled from footage now in the public domain. Of note is the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940 and archive footage from downtown Reykjavík believed to be from 1929.