Over nineteen years, Ólöf Arnalds has had a most varied career. Her first album, Við og við (Now and Again) sung entirely in Icelandic, was recorded and produced by Sigur Rós’ Kjartan Sveinsson in the band’s converted swimming pool studio, Sundlaugin. By her second release, she was recording some songs in English, while her third and fourth records were all English efforts filled with an array of synthetic sounds. But with the release of her fifth album, Spíra (Sprout), not only is she back to singing in Icelandic, the sounds, once again are all acoustic.
From the initial notes of ‘Heimurrinn núna’ to the final notes of ‘Lifandi’, Spira weaves waves of sound casting a spell without requiring an understanding of Icelandic language to be enthralling. Between Arnalds voice, the guitar, bass and production of Skúli Sverrisson, along with Davíð Þór Jónssonon on piano and guitar; these three artists, who have worked together on various projects for years, create a work of exceptional depth and beauty.
Arnalds voice is a most alluring instrument, measure by measure simultaneously innocent and ancient. Never more so than on ‘Úfinn sjór’ (Rough Waters). Zeroing in on Iceland’s long winter darkness, she finds in the candlelight surrounding her a place where her head becomes clear discovering, “The heart thaws/ In a stream of words / In all the colors of the spectrum/ Like before.” Yet as the summer turns to autumn, she speaks of how the summer’s “Endless light/ Is a bit too exciting.”
Her vocals on ‘Afl þitt og hús’ (Houses and Power) initially sound childlike, an interesting choice for a song dealing with mortality and greed. Yet, with a single picked guitar serving as the instrumental accompaniment, Arnalds provides a most devastating message, “For what are riches and houses and power/ If in that house blooms no lovely flower?” The answer could not be more obvious.
Using sparse instrumentation highlights the extraordinary qualities of Arnalds’ voice. On ‘Lifandi’ (Alive), the sense of gratitude is obvious with every phrase she sings. “Love lifts us/ High above everything/ What a wonderful stroke of luck/ That you should want me.” The beauty and simplicity of the backing serve to highlight the sentiment.
After an eleven-year absence, returning to the style of her first recording in 2006, Ólöf Arnalds has created an album rivaling anything else in her catalog. Spira is a reconsideration of who she is today, a glimpse into the heart and soul of a woman who makes music that she is willing to share with the world. It is a gift that will get us through the cold months ahead.