Stream Júníus Meyvant's debut album, including the disarmingly modest and stunning ballad "Signals"

06 July 2016, 09:25 | Written by Holly Manners

(News)

(Júníus Meyvant)

"The theme and the core of the album is about time," says Júníus Meyvant. "Someone who is perfect today can be a failure tomorrow. So basically in the end what matters most is being good to your neighbor. With time, colors will decay." Today, the world can hear Meyvant's musings on time with the stream of his beautiful debut record, Floating Harmonies.

A surefire highlight of the album's 12 songs is "Signals".

In comparison to Meyvant’s last release – the warm and joyous "Neon Experience" – "Signals" is understated. Nevertheless, the song packs as much of a gritty, authentic punch as its predecessor, this time through a new captivating directness.

As with "Neon Experience", Meyvant strikes a delicate balance between his soulful, honest vocal delivery and modern elements that make the track feel fresh. The production is crisp, shuffling, and minimal, and gradually builds with quirky snaps and shakes.

Newly evident in "Signals" is Meyvant’s exceptional string writing. Between chorus and verse there is a simple, unison string melody, whose rich legato tones jar with the prickly, plucked strings that accompany the verse. This contrast between smooth and rough, folky and soulful, is Meyvant’s purple patch – the space created calls to mind the iconic dramatic landscapes of his native Iceland.

After the second short chorus, the strings once again take centre stage, this time curving around the increasingly intricate production to create beautifully resonant textures that more than make up for the lack of vocals.

Yet, just as you are setting into the string-led swell of "Signals", Meyvant strips back all production and percussion, leaving only the solo voice of the violin. As this, too, fades away, we are left hanging with an electronic shimmer - our very own ‘signal’ that interrupts and finally ends the track.

The effect of this is one of striking simplicity, and it therefore comes as no surprise that Meyvant has already picked up the impressive Best Newcomer accolade at the Icelandic Music Awards. With the breadth and depth of his songwriting thus far, Meyvant is proving to be a fantastic example of the formidable musical talent coming out of Scandinavia this year.

Stream "Signals" - today's Song Of The Day - and other tracks from Floating Harmonies below. The album is released this Friday, 8 July via Record Records.