While travelling in Iceland and the Faroes last month, we came across the music of Eivør Pálsdóttir, a 20 year old Faroese woman with a very strong voice and wide vocal range.
Her first, eponomously titled album was released on the Faroese label, Tutl, and is a mix of Faroese and Danish folk songs, infused with jazz and blues elements. It’s surprisingly good. That may sound patronising, but I mean only that I had gone to the Faroes expecting to pick up a CD or two as souvenirs of the place. I had not expected to find music that I could imagine myself listening to over and over again.
Her second album is called Krákan (The Crow) and came out just a few months ago. It was released on the Icelandic label, 12 Tonar, and has been selling very well in that country, which is where I heard it, in the 12 Tonar shop in Reykjavík.
Eivør really comes into her own during these songs, all of which she wrote herself. Some, such as Nú Brennur Tú Í Mær are moody pieces, while others, such as Rura Barnið evoke memories of the sorely missed Dead Can Dance.
I highly recommend that you take a chance and splash out on one or both of these albums. You’re unlikely to hear them on your local radio, although you’ll find sound bites on Amazon’s and Tutl’s site if you want a taste of what you’d be getting.
Also recommended is the Kristian Blak & Yggdrasil album simply called Yggdrasil. This album features Eivør on vocals throughout and is another blend of Faroese and Nordic folk and jazz influences, making for a very pleasant chill-out album.