I feel like I’ve been in love with Ásgeir for an eternity, having fallen hard for his intoxicating music prior to the release of debut album In The Silence, still a favorite to this day. The Icelandic artist’s gorgeous folktronica tends to evoke a mixture of Sigur Rós, Bon Iver, The Acid, and Ry X. On newly arrived single Unbound, he takes a more ambient and experimental direction that parallels Bon Iver’s own shift in sound on their latest album, with a copious infusion of atmospheric James Blake. Unbound is just as its name suggests, a metaphysical piece that floats and hovers, riding on the wings of Ásgeir’s satin smooth voice. As I’ve been hoping for some time now, Unbound signals the impending arrival of a sophomore album. Afterglow will be released on May 5th via One Little Indian. I bet the record’s going to be a sublime soundtrack to the rebirth and rejuvenation that comes with spring.
