Words by

Sam O'Donnell and Valur Grettisson

Here’s what the Grapevine team is listening to this week.

Elín Ey – Waterloo

This acoustic cover of an ABBA classic lends the tune a whole new tone. While the original is fast and upbeat, this version is slow and melancholy. I honestly prefer this one, and that’s no small feat for any cover of an ABBA song.

Tómas Welding – Lifeline

Here’s one for the nerds who love the ukulele. Are Kings of Leon your favourite band, but you’re looking to expand your musical library to more of the same stuff? This is the music for you. Halfway through the song, a lady starts singing too, which has never been done before in the history of music. If I’m honest, I’m trying to hate this song, but it’s just too catchy and easy to listen to. I’ll be humming this one all day.

Dirb – Blow Out (feat. MSEA)

This is good. Electronica with heavy bass and an eerie undertone, making for an unsettling feeling that is undercut by overtly positive lyrics. But then, there is so much going on in this track that it’s easy to lose track of the lyrics.

Seint – Einn Tveir Þrír

Finally, a song for the furries. Grapevine has been closely watching Seint’s evolution over the past two years, and this guy has morphed into a solid pop machine. The song is EDM with a cool twist and some basic furry violence. Seint can’t really go wrong and is always entertaining and interesting.

Daði og Gagnamagnið – Think About Things

Daði og Gagnamagnið will be Iceland’s contenders at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest being held in Rotterdam in May. Daði became a superstar in Iceland after he ended up in second place in the same contest some years ago. The song is best described as a combination of disco and nerdiness. That’s it. Also, fun fact, Daði is a half-giant.

Hrím – Ljómi

Hrím has established itself as a little experimental folk band that always strives for the depth instead of commercialism, which is why they have always interested us, as regular readers of Grapevine might have noticed. The song Ljómi (Glow) has a heavy beat backing the crystal clear voice of Ösp Eldjárn, combining everything that is great about Hrím. Definitely the most interesting folk band in town right now.