Sykur – Mesópótamía EP

After releasing two full-length albums, it seems Sykur (translation: Sugar) have outgrown their native Iceland and are ready to take on the rest of the world. With a good live reputation and some high profile support slots paving the way for London based label Wall of Sound to pick them up and release this EP, a 5 track sample of their second album, also called Mesópótamía. And it’s not hard to see why. This EP is a fine showcase of electro pop, not so much radio-friendly as radio-friendly-with-benefits, but it’s infinitely interesting and, crucially, really good fun.

We kick off with ‘Messy Hair’, a duet with Stefán Finnbogason and new recruit Agnes Björt Andradóttir on vocals. It’s all bouncy synths and side-chained basslines, scattergun percussion and a solid, simple hook. Its sound is so polished that girls could do their pre-party make up in it. “She’s made of twisted steel and sex appeal and it’s all for show” as the chorus goes, the band seemingly aware enough to know you need to have something more than just a pretty face.

They prove that they do with the second song and lead single Curling, containing the band’s mission statement: “We’re going to start a fire with our synthesisers.” For four minutes you believe them. It’s so bursting with energy that nothing can sit still for a second – the hi-hats skip between the left and right speakers and the bass jumps like a loose ping-pong ball. The whole song feels like it’s stuck somewhere between 1999 and 2002 and it couldn’t be happier about it. Like those scenes in Groundhog Day where Bill Murray is just having a really great time. Agnes sings it like she’s Sonique or the newest member of Madison Avenue. Don’t call her barnið. It’s thrilling stuff.

They allow us a breather with ‘Battlestar’ slowing the pace its downtempo beat calling to mind Bonobo or The Sabres Of Paradise, from back when phone companies were snapping up chill-out songs for their adverts almost as quickly as everyone else was buying 3310s. It sounds nice enough, and is needed to sonically balance the EP, but the mind wanders and it loses focus a little. It’s interesting territory though, and shows the band’s range and intent to be something more than just electro floor-fillers.

The last two songs, ‘Feit’ and ‘Hvítvín’ (meaning ‘White Wine’) pick the pace up again. Neither as immediate as ‘Curling’ but still manage to get you to nod your head. ‘Feit’ is a little darker, with only Stefán on vocals and his style lends itself more to the dark club than the house party. ‘Hvítvín’, an instrumental, feels a little more anonymous. It never quite reaches full-on rave mode, but doesn’t shy away from it either. Like Diet Rave or Rave Zero, for people who like the taste but don’t want all of the side-effects that come with the real thing.

It’s an extremely well paced five-song work, in that it would probably out-stay its welcome about a minute into song six. But as it is, you just want to go back and play it over again. Its European vocal delivery and floating arpeggiators will call to mind Robyn, only less clever and more guttural and instinctive. There’s no denying that this is a fun way to spend 20 or so minutes and if Sykur host a party, you definitely don’t want to miss it.

- Michael Palmer