ALBUM REVIEW: Hjartastjaki – Isafjørd
Hailing from Iceland and literally translating to “fjord of ice”, ISAFJØRD is the result of a meeting of minds between SÓLSTAFIR’s Aðalbjörn Addi Tryggvason and SIGN/ex-PAIN OF SALVATION’s Ragnar Zolberg. Though the two have been in the same musical circles for some time, it wasn’t until recently that they decided to put their heads together and create something. The end result, ISAFJØRD, takes its name from Ísafjörður, the town the pair both trace their family to, but is also spiritually rooted in the natural beauty Iceland is renowned for.
Sonically, it’s likely you already know whether you’re interested or not. The phrase “Icelandic post-rock” conjures certain expectations and sounds – bands like SIGUR RÓS and SÓLSTAFIR themselves have an easily identifiable tone that sets them apart from non-Icelandic bands in their sphere. Perhaps it is because of the geography, or the Icelandic culture itself, that asserts itself so strongly in the music. No matter what it might be, even a cursory listen to ISAFJØRD will very much reinforce that this is Icelandic post-rock through and through.
The most obvious comparison will be to SÓLSTAFIR, something that becomes even more clear with Tryggvason’s weathered and deeply melodic tones. Zolberg shares vocal duties and it’s in these moments, such as on Mín Svarta Hlið, though he’s not as characterful vocally as Tryggvason, that the duo do feel more distinct. Part of the record’s genesis involves a broken piano in their practice and writing space; the instrument lends an emotional intimacy to songs like the title track in which it resonates. Not quite of of tune, not entirely in, it’s a sound that leaves its own very human mark on an album that’s otherwise deeply evocative of the natural world.
Loneliness and desolation are both present throughout, such as again on the title track or the following Heiðin. The rough edges of Tryggvason and Zolberg’s voices are tempered in the quieter moments that look out over a river, or when it becomes a raging torrent, with the sparse melodies that still evoke the oft-cold grandeur of the northern island. For all its frozen wonder, there also lies – deep down – a pop sensibility in Hjartastjaki. Not solely post-rock, the minimalism lends itself to simple melodicism that, while non-Icelandic speakers likely won’t find themselves singing the words to any time soon, will almost certainly sink their hooks in, in particular with Heiðin or the starkly vulnerable Kuldaró.
At its core, Hjartastjaki is a pop album but dressed in all the emotional swells and grandeur of Icelandic post-rock; it soars above forests, crashes down waterfalls and sits idly in hot springs, all the while marvelling at the richness of the world it finds itself in and the vulnerability of it all and the human within it. An album made during a particularly trying time for the two members, it feels connected to the human experience as well as the natural world in a way it seems only post-rock from this small, beautiful island can be.
Rating: 8/10
Hjartastjaki is out now via Svart Records.
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