From Iceland — Helgi Hrafn Jónsson

Published May 25, 2009

Although perhaps not the most inspired 43 minutes ever committed to CD,
For The Rest Of My Childhood nevertheless accomplishes very nicely what
it sets out to do. Helgi Hrafn’s beautiful voice, strained and
desperate, yet somehow also formal and wooden, carves its way through
seven predictable post-punk numbers with amiable charm. Oddly enough,
it seems to become more defined at the end: the last three tracks are
by far the most honest and vulnerable on the album.
    The stakes are never raised quite high enough to make an impact,
however, and charm alone cannot sustain the album’s energy. The
pedestrian production isn’t quite decisive enough to provide much of an
atmosphere either, making for a frustrating listen; it’s too punctuated
and forceful to drift away to, and yet too laconic to get excited
about. on the album.

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