Asgeir - In The Silence

For a country that has a total population smaller than that of County Cork’s, Iceland punches above its weight when it comes to music.

Bjork is obviously the country’s best known musical export. However, Ásgeir’s astonishing popularity in his native land means he now holds the new record for the best-selling album in Icelandic history.

Having conquered Iceland, Ásgeir appears to have set his sights on global domination, with the release of an English language version of his debut Dýrð í dauðaþögn. Friend and fan John Grant gets on board to translate his tender and touching songs, which have a definite hint of Grant himself about them, as well as being reminiscent of contemporary folk rock royalty such as Bon Iver or James Vincent McMorrow.

While he doesn’t quite hit the dizzy heights mapped out by these brilliant ar tists, Ásgeir Trausti offers plenty of evidence that he could well be capable of painting his own masterpiece. In the meantime, propulsive stand-out ‘Torrent’ should surely advance his cause.