In a nation of 300,000 people, it doesn’t take long to become a star. What’s astonishing is that Ólafur Arnalds has been able to accomplish this on a global basis, without compromise, in the space of a few short years. The reasons for his success are obvious: he’s incredibly talented, hard-working, and humble. Despite his success, he’s still just “Ólafur from the block”. This trait allows his fans to relate to him, never more apparent than on his latest release, Living Room Songs. The EP began as a one-a-day online project; every day for a week, fans were invited to watch Arnalds perform a track in his living room and to download the day’s results for free. It’s hard to top this sort of approachability and generosity, which colors his output as well. At first, we liked the artist because of his music; now we like the music because of the artist. Arnalds’ comforting style of composition – melody with sweet counterpart – has helped to soothe Iceland during a time of incredible tumult (economic meltdown, followed by volcanic eruptions), providing its own emotional counterpart. The best of the seven tracks, the string-laced “Film Credits” from Another Happy Day, hints at a new career as well. (Richard Allen)
Lag Fyrir Ömmu
a closer listen 