On the back of 2012’s In the Silence (or Dýrð í dauðaþögn), Ásgeir rose to prominence as one of the most popular Icelandic musicians ever. The record became Iceland’s largest selling debut ever, moving so many units that it’s estimated one-tenth of the entire population owns a copy. Not bad for a teenager hailing from a small town of only 40 people. You’d think that an artist with that much success would want to recapture the magic that worked so well on his first album when putting together his long-anticipated follow-up. But instead of just recreating his sound, Ásgeir is completely reimagining it.
His upcoming sophomore effort, Afterglow, ditches the acoustic folk numbers of In the Silence for a modern electronica style. The transition from guitars to computers makes the music no less intimate, however, as demonstrated on the album’s new single, “Stardust”. The track is a taut and gleaming piece of electro-pop, R&B-smooth keys creating a reflective pool off which Ásgeir’s shimmering vocals bounce. He sings of a lover’s patience, internalizing the old adage, “If you love something, let it go.” “I’m the man that stands behind you/ Real calm while you prove yourself/ Understand that there is someone/ Waiting, till the curtains close,” goes the chorus. It’s as sweet and warm as anything off In the Silence, proving that Ásgeir is who he is, regardless of the type of music he’s writing.
Take a listen below.
Afterglow is out May 5th on Columbia in the US and via One Little Indian in the UK.
