Everything is weirder in Iceland, that’s a scientific fact. Their pop singers are weirder (Bjork) their rock groups are weirder (Sigur Ros), and if Sin Fang Bous is any indication, their singer-songwriters are weirder as well. Sin Fang Bous is actually Sindri Mar Sigfusson, the lead singer of Seabear. If you’ve heard Seabear, that won’t really prepare you for Sin Fang Bous, since the former is indie pop and this is decidedly…different. The music on Clangour runs between glitched-out electronica to quiet acoustic rock, all facing a common bond in Bous’ off-kilter and utterly charming songwriting. One-of-a-kind romantic verses like “I will be the lumberjack and you will be the trees” populate left-of-center odes like “Clangour and Flutes.” Decipher that one? How about “Sinkership,” which has Bous proclaiming, “I’m coming down, I see eyes in the mirror / An old rhino sweeps in rolled up flames”? Give me a ring when you figure that one out, but even if you can’t they still work, as the dreamy electronic vibe of Clangour accompanies the out-of-this-world lyrics. High speed loops of bleeps and bloops are layered behind simplistic acoustic guitar strumming, creating a Bob Dylan-meets-Beta Band vibe. It’s not wacky or sample-filled like Beck, but very deliberate and low-fi. This isn’t dance music, and calling it “electronic” might even be a misnomer; this is acoustic singer-songwriter stuff that happens to be plugged in to a few computers and a drum machine, and it’s pretty amazing. (Morr Music 2009)
