The stupid genius of Páll Ivan frá Eiðum

Now its creator Páll Ivan frá Eiðum, an experimental electronic artist and painter from Iceland, has released an album full of equally oddball songs. Some are down-right unsettling, some are ridiculous and many of them are catchy as hell.

“4th Time Blood”, for example, is an auto tuned pop song about sadomasochism, which manages to get your foot tapping whilst simultaneously being a pretty uncomfortable – but funny - listen. “Sick Sweet Smell” may cross the line into unnerving, but with lines like “I try to eat breakfast and finger my ass”, it’s still surreal and darkly funny; if you like that kind of thing.

There is plenty on here that is more fun, though. The bonkers “Spaceship” tells the story of a space traveller in need of money to fix up their spacecraft, and wouldn’t sound out of place on Flight of the Conchords before it descends into wonderful, ramshackle musical chaos.

“Llama Alpaca” is amusing and light, as is “Crazy Daisy”. The Icelandic songs are often the catchiest musically, for example “Halló Vinur” (‘Hello Friend’) is a disco-inflected track with synths that would fit comfortably on a comedy-horror soundtrack. For non-Icelandic speakers it’s hard not to imagine that the lyrics are as weird as the English language songs. On further research, however some are deeper than that. “Taktu Lyf” (‘Take Medicine’) is about anxiety and depression and the stigma attached to taking medication for mental illnesses.

Overall This is my Shit veers between being challenging and catchy, uncompromising and silly. It’s certainly not for everyone, but those who like it will really love it.