Concert reviews! And one album review!

I just got back from Broken Social Scene last night, which was probably the most energetic concert I have ever been to. I'd definitely give it a solid 9.5. A week and a half ago, I saw Vampire Weekend, who were also excellent (maybe a 9.1?), and just days before that, I saw Jonsi three times (all 10s, of course!) I have had my fair share of concerts in these past three weeks, but nothing is going to stop me! I have also been listening to a lot of new albums lately...and I am going to review them!

Ólafur Arnalds - ...and They Have Escaped the Weight of the Darkness [9.7]
No vocals. No guitars. Stripped down classical-style piano with some orchestrals. Sounds unexciting? Well, you'd be wrong. The latest outing by classically-trained Icelandic musician Ólafur Arnalds is his finest accomplishment to date. ...And they Have Escaped the Weight of the Darkness has a much more depressive feel to it than his earlier album, Eulogy for Evolution, but that is what makes this so much better. ...ATHETWOTD is dripping with gorgeous atmosphere. It starts off by building a claustrophobic mood with the opener, "Þú ert sólin", which segues into the equally dark "Þú ert jörðin". Arnalds then treats us to a little breath of hope, the beautifully played "Tunglið". From here on, however, Arnalds gradually builds the claustrophobic and depressive mood until half-way through the album's finale, the fittingly titled "Þau hafa sloppið undanþunga myrkursins", which is the title of the album in Icelandic; the song continues the hopeless feel, but half-way through it, a whole marching band and orchestra, complete with trumpets, plays innocently, and all of the darkness fades in a split second. To me, on first listen, that was one of the most satisfying moments in musical history, and that is not an exaggeration. Once you hear that part of the song, you will understand why this gorgeous, near-perfect gem is titled "...And They Have Escaped the Weight of the Darkness".

Top songs: Tunglið; Hægt, kemur ljósið; Þau hafa sloppið undanþunga myrkursins