Ólöf Arnalds' "Innundir Skinni"

Off the bat, Ólöf Arnalds’ voice brings to mind a more soft-spoken Edith Piaf, if only because of its commanding presence and intriguing timbre. The comparison feels less applicable after the intro track “Vinur Minn,” but Arnalds voice is still equally intriguing. She comes to sound like a cross between Piaf and Martha Wainwright. “Vinur Minn,” along with closer “Allti Guddi,” bookends a collection of gentle, shy, and beautiful acoustic songs characterized by Arnalds relaxed inflection and intimate acoustic fingerpicking, accompanied at points with a subtle addition of strings, banjo, percussion, and piano. Innundir Skinni is a collection of songs that sound like a soundtrack for staring wide-eyed out the window of a train or car as it cuts through the magnificence of the endless countryside. It’s folk, sung in English and Icelandic that works towards encompassing the heart while warming the soul. With shades of melancholy and cheer, Innundir Skinni proves to be something of natural beauty that’s instilled with a human touch that’s lost on so many records that come out these days. Arnalds makes music that sounds so personal, it's almost as if she's not just singing at you, she's singing for and about you. A close listen of the album yields the same type of feeling you would have if Arnalds was seated in front of you, singing and playing like the wind, in stereo.

Ólöf Arnalds - "Innundir Skinni"


Ólöf Arnalds Upcoming Tour Dates

Oct 8 - First Unitarian Chapel - Philadelphia, PA
Oct 9 - Joe's Pub - NY, NY
Oct 11 - IOTA - Washington, DC
Oct 12 - The Southern - Charlottesville, VA
Oct 13 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA
Oct 14 - Comet Bar - Cincinnati, OH
Oct 15 - Wexner Center - Columbus, OH
Oct 16 - Christ Evangelical United Church - Louisville, KY
Oct 18 - Schubas - Chicago, IL
Nov 14 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA*
Nov 15 - Glass House - Pamona, CA*
Nov 16 - The Music Box @ Fonda - Los Angeles, CA*
Nov 19 - Warfield Theater - San Francisco, CA*
Nov 20 - Roseland - Portland, OR*
Nov 21 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC*
Nov 24 - The Showbox at the Market - Seattle, WA*
Nov 26 - The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT*
Nov 27 - Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO*
Nov 29 - Warehouse Live Studio - Houston, TX*
Nov 30 - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX*
Dec 1 - La Zona Rosa - Austin, TX*

* w/ Blonde Redhead

BUY: Innundir Skinni came out this week. Pick it up on iTunes, here on Amazon MP3, or here on CD.