A strong sense of Déjà vu lingered in the air as I entered Melbourne's Forum Theatre tonight, having last done so a mere 2 months ago for James Vincent McMorrow and the same would have been felt by Brisbane's Airling, who supported the talented Irishman on his tour and now securing the opening spot for his European neighbour in Iceland's very own Ásgeir.
The crowd size was significantly larger this time around for the indie pop darling, who in the last few months has really emerged and gained the exposure and praise her ethereal music so truly deserves. Fronting the stage with a new drummer in tow alongside guitarist/jack of all musical trades Graham Ritchie, Airling further cemented the fact that her live presence is near impossible to fault. Seriously, her vocal chops in the flesh are genuinely fucking fantastic – so on point yet she makes it seem so damn effortless. It was really great to catch the mesmerizing talent again who will no doubt score a new legion of fans as she gears up for Splendour in the Grass this coming weekend.
Prior to tonight, I admittedly knew quite little of Ásgeir’s music – only three songs in fact. I was however more than aware of the hype surrounding the multi-talented musician which has in turned been matched by the huge success of his debut album, In the Silence. Whilst Ásgeir managed to translate this ground breaking record into English, his Icelandic roots were crystal clear upon his arrival on stage to the sounds of "Stein Intro" and proved to be a recurring theme throughout the evening as "In Harmony", "Nu Hann Blaes" and the album title track were all performed in his native language. Having never heard these songs before, I naturally had no idea just what Ásgeir was singing about but the foreign poetry translated through his angelic falsetto, alongside the beautiful arrangement and atmosphere provided by his band was more than enough to really move me.
There was a distinct blend of both melodic folk and dark electronica throughout Ásgeir’s first ever Australian show as the 21 year old and his band stormed through popular tracks "Lupin Intrigue" and set-closer "Torrent". It was however my personal favourite "King And Cross" and a chilling rendition of Nirvana’s"Heart Shaped Box" that stood as clear highlights of the evening.
With English serving as his second language, there was minimal banter between songs yet despite being evidently shy, the singer songwriter remained incredibly polite in his many thanks to the audience. Ásgeir is a true testament to the belief that music is a universal language and although his interaction with fans was limited, I'm quite confident in that we all walked away feeling more than contempt with the passion and intensity Ásgeir conveyed through his intriguing sound.
