Beards, plaid, jumpers. Staring with catalogue-pose meaningful intensity into the middle distance. It can mean only one thing; warming, heart-tugging folk-pop, probably from Scandinavia. Sure enough, here are HJALTALÍN. So far, so lazily stereotypical, and while the bold, sweeping songwriting strokes and use of violin and bassoon suggest they fit in snugly, anonymously even, amongst regional peers there’s a dynamism and urgency to them which those charmed by their Tommy’s Bar and Norwegian Church gigs of recent years would testify to. Högni Egilsson’s vocals can be Efterklang-light or prog-heavy like Dungen, and the band flit between a more experimental chamber-pop touch and a more earnest rumble, kind of Arcade Fire playing a Renaissance Fayre. Not sure whether they’ve got tabards on the merch table, but y’know, they could do.
AMONG BROTHERS are natural supports in a way, stuttering electronic rhythms underpinning their own blend of Sigur Ros sweep and (hush now) more emo directness. It’s meant as a compliment. Their Charlie Francis-produced EP, reviewed on this very site a while back, showcases the two sides of the band perfectly; live, when the chiming, juddering instrumental sections are furthermost they’re highly impressive. The Bristol leg of the tour, meanwhile, has SEERAUBER JENNY in support. They’ve a single out on Club Fandango, whose glottal-stopping vocals and lunges from pared-back indie tautness to more glossy radio rock jar slightly. Check ’em out anyway, if you’re heading Bristol-wards; stick around for the Afrobeat night afterwards too, it sounds GREAT.
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Friday 4th March, 2011
No Need To Shout Presents..
HJALTALÍN – Live
SEERÄUBER JENNY – Live
Followed by a night of AFROBEAT
…10.00pm -03.00am / £3/£2
Hjaltalín is a touch of Arcade fire but more interesting, vocals are stunning, instrumentation is awesome. Joyous and gentle. Big colourful band to fall in love with. Soul, classical. Classoul. The Icelandic Collective is a breath of fresh air and the sound of the morning thaw.
Seerauberjenny is a project conceived by young human, Fran Barker, multi-instrumental singer/songwriter from North Wiltshire. A lack of interesting activities in the area had led to wholeheartedly devoting her time to writing and recording a catalogue of earthy and positively received shoe gazer tunes, before being captured by a Victorian explorer type, willing to display her and her songs in a glass sample cabinet, along with some other exotic specimens. Following radio play on BBC6, Seerauberjenny was cherry-picked by a board of judges, including Huw Stephens, to play at BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend Fringe Festival in Swindon. She is now creating quite the hoo-ha in audiences locally and in the warmer climes of Brighton, where she is often found.
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HJALTALÍN
AMONG BROTHERS
Saturday 5th March, 2011
7.30pm-10pm *early show*
Buffalo Bar, Cardiff
Ages: 18+
£6 adv http://wegottickets.co.uk / £7 doors
http://www.buffalocardiff.com/
http://www.myspace.com/hjaltalinmusic
http://www.myspace.com/amongbrothers
Icelandic ‘chamber-pop’ group HJALTALÍN return to Cardiff, bringing their beautiful and uplifting sounds this time to Buffalo Bar, with support from AMONG BROTHERS.
The 7-piece mini orchestra includes violin, bassoon, clarinet and cello which produce stunningly arranged experimental pop.
“a wonderful album..sounds as if it was made for one reason only: to revel in the joy of making music” – The Sunday Times
“this is playful, frisky music that sounds like an endless summer night among friends, sliding from euphoria to melancholy and back again, lush with longing and promise” – Guardian
“a wonderfully warm record” – Metro
