Krakan

One thing about albums by Eivor Palsdottir -- to grasp her music fully you need to collect them all, because each one is different. This, her second album, has the assurance and challenge of a mature artist, even though she was only 20 when she made it, working with a trio of percussion/accordion, guitar, and bass/cello. Recorded in Icelandic, it's a little akin to what might happen if Bjork made an album for ECM. It's atmospheric, occasionally jazzy, and sometimes downright strange. On "Brostnar Borgir" her voice goes to places it doesn't seem possible for the human voice to reach, while on the title cut her signing forms a formidable challenge to the jagged electric guitar. Elsewhere it's more hushed, relying on atmosphere (the Icelandic language means that for most listeners, she might as well be singing wordlessly), although "Kanska ein Dag" has lightly jazzy touches that actually seem to ground it, particularly considering that the rest of the disc steers clear of easy pigeonholes. Krakan is a stunning record, especially for someone so young, showing great artistic vision and a willingness to avoid convention. ~ Chris Nickson