Grapevine Playlist: Of Monsters And Men, Hildur, Karítas & More

The hills are alive with the sound of momcore pop, emotional ballads, trashy retro rock and trap. Praise be! It’s the new Grapevine playlist!

Of Monsters & Men – Alligator
The first Icelandic act to reach a billion plays on Spotify are back. “Alligator” is a standard-issue pop/rock single that strains to be anthemic, and while the crunchy guitars are slightly too hard for it to be momcore, the trite lyrics definitely aren’t. JR

Hildur – Woman At War
How do you like emotional ballads? What about Robyn? Well, mash ‘em both together and you get “Woman At War,” the newest effort from pop princess Hildur. Her stunning voice is put front and centre here, and we’re grateful for it. HJC

Shelter On Wax & Jónbjörn – Statues
Lagaffe Tales label head Jónbjörn is taking off lately, quite literally: his 2019 live dates have included slots in Helsinki, Vienna and Tbilisi. The claustrophobic flatline of this techno collaboration strikingly spikes around the four minute mark. JR

Vintage Caravan – On The Run
The Vintage Caravan might be known for their psychedelic ‘60s-retro sound, but “On The Run” proves the band can easily take on the ‘80s as well. With an old school Americana-metal sound, it personifies the sentence “Are you ready to rock?!” Think Whitesnake. HJC

Countess Malaise – KASH
A bright star in the Reykjavík rap scene, Countess Malaise has charisma to spare. The languid, bassy thrust of this new track, produced by Lord Pusswhip, hints at great things from her forthcoming solo album. It’s coming soon: keep refreshing Soundcloud. JR

KARÍTAS – Wear Somebody Else
Trap intersects with delicate pop on KARÍTAS’ debut single “Wear Somebody Else.” With a light touch, she muses about her desire to be somebody else, all while the quiet harmonies surround the listener, enveloping them in the sensation of wanting. We want more. HJC

Follow our playlist on Spotify here. Read more about Icelandic music here.