Iceland's freshest import is here to bring a new look at old Folk. This EP of cover songs is excellent. It also doesn't hurt that Ólöf is dreamy.
Ólöf Arnalds - Ólöf Sings (2011) – 6.5 / 10.0
Release Date: Nov. 15, 2011
Running Time: 17:03
Label: One Little Indian
Genre: Traditional Folk
Drug of Choice: Ambien, Painkillers
Key Tracks:
"With Tomorrow/I'm On Fire"
"Solitary Man"
Ólöf Arnalds has become a bit of a star in her native Iceland since releasing her first solo record in 2007. Ólöf Sings is her first foray into America and it hits just about right. This five-song EP of covers doesn't provide anything particularly revelatory. This is Ólöf with an acoustic guitar, doing fairly straight up Folk interpretations of the songs. That doesn't prevent the work from being endearing however. Ólöf's voice is sweet and breathes new readings into the material. In particular, her cover of Gene Clark's "With Tomorrow" that seamlessly fades into Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" is lovely. This version of Neil Diamond's "Solitary Man" displays Arnalds' ability to go beyond innocent and sweet. This version of the song is easily just as strong as the Johnny Cash or Crooked Fingers take on the track (and I think stronger than Diamond's). Her take on Dylan's "She Belongs To Me" effectively removes much of the signature Dylan sting, revealing a nice love song. The simplicity of the arrangements might wear thin on a longer format release, but for this grouping of songs it sits just right. I'm looking forward to what she has planned for us next.
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Reviewer Stats:
Reviews -57
Average Rating - 6.7
Highest Rating - 9.5 Blitzen Trapper's American Goldwing
Lowest Rating - 1.5 D. Charles Speer's Arghiledes
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