Rökkurró – Rökkurró EP

The Icelandic music scene has long since established itself as a forerunner for musical ingenuity. Whether there’s a tendency towards blistering melody, or slight and beautiful folk music, it’s guaranteed a Nordic musician will prevail in technical aptitude and Viking grace. If their Scandinavian cousins champion credible pop tunes and rainbow flecked tambourines, the people of Iceland take creativity as seriously the alphabet. They’ve even commissioned Iceland Music Export, a government sponsored initiative, to ensure the continuation of their thriving scene.

Enter Rökkurró, a much loved five piece from Reykjavík. The band are in the midst of a British invasion after signing to esteemed record label Brainlove, playing a couple of headline shows in London, and completing a session recording with The Line of Best Fit. With backing like that, it should come as no surprise that their new EP is a sound and well polished venture into the realms of the alternative.

On this release Rökkurró display a nominal level of technical understanding that’s almost biologically implausible. Layer after layer is packed into opener ‘Sólin mun skína’, which – regardless of its heady depths – twinkles and prances like a carefree work of art. In contrast Rökkurró’s ability to intertwine every emotion into final track ‘Sjónarspil’ eradicates concerns of artificial intelligence. Only a human could make something so primal and enthralling. The record is epitomised by the threatening ‘Augun Opnast’, a song that seeps bitter anger and cleans up with a withered compassion.

All three tracks pull and pout at the limelight like Suri Cruise. They’re unbelievably cool, but they’d prefer not to make a fuss about it… Which just makes them cooler. If Rökkurró can keep up this kind of achievement, they’ll soon find themselves standing proudly next to their nation’s greats.