AMIINA - Kurr

Here, at last, is the long-awaited full-length debut from the string quartet that has not only supported Sigur Rós on their recent tours, but has also been an integral part of the dreamy sonic richness of the studio albums by the band led by Jónsi Birgisson.

After a couple of EPs (the first, "Aminamina", from 2005, was especially noteworthy) that already hinted at the development of a predictable kind of orchestral classicism, the four Icelandic women — having added a second "i" to the name originally chosen for the band — now present a work that doesn't simply retrace the delicate romanticism of strings, but instead seems driven by the ambition to weave more varied sonic textures, albeit always very understated and linear ones. Particularly emblematic, in this sense, is the cover art, which stands as a faithful mirror of Amiina's music: with grace and meticulous care, they blend colourful harmonies, often composed spontaneously and only later matched to the instruments that perform them.

Strings are undoubtedly still the dominant force in "Kurr", even if they're repeatedly paired with an abundance of delicate acoustic touches, gentle rhythms almost always dictated by the xylophone, and even hints of analog texture, entrusted to small organs with a hidden folk flavor.

With the exception of the graceful lullaby "Rugla" and the choral vocalizations of "Hilli" and "Kolapot", the album consists entirely of instrumental tracks, ranging from the well-known yet still evocative arctic visions of "Sogg" and "Glamúr", to more complex compositions that pair the rhythm of the xylophone ("Seoul") with scattered acoustic notes and gentle romantic crescendos riding on the wings of strings ("Sexfaldur", "Kolapot"). There's also no shortage of unfinished forays into acoustic-orchestral ambient – which surface here and there throughout the album and show up most clearly in the long, monotone "Boga" – as well as compositions that are a bit more varied and pronounced in rhythmic and emotional terms, chief among them "Lóri", which, besides being one of the best tracks on this work, shows that Amiina have real potential to expand their sonic range into territories of archaic, playful folk already touched upon by other famous countrymen such as Múmu00e1m.

Overall, "Kurr" confirms that the four women's performing qualities remain intact; however, it almost inevitably suffers from the points of comparison and the clichés of a music that, to best express its dreamy character, requires an extra push and the courage to take some risks in breaking away from models whose charm is easy but, by now, a bit predictable. Perhaps that's why listening to many of the tracks spontaneously generates the expectation of some kind of evolution (not necessarily the eruption of Sigur Rós's guitars…), which, however, never materializes in Amiina's compositions, all devoted to the pursuit of formal grace but ultimately too flat to be truly effective or to deserve anything more than lukewarm approval limited, precisely, to their outward surface.

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21/06/2007