Album Review: Ásgeir - Bury The Moon

Set to be released in both English and Ásgeir’s native Icelandic, the folksy swirl of Bury The Moon, or Sátt, offers up a reflective collection of tunes born from heartbreak and the breakdown of a long-term relationship. 

Lush orchestral arrangements ebb and flow under Ásgeir’s dreamy vocals in a way that brings to mind primetime Bon Iver. Ásgeir apparently absconded to the country and wrote this album under self-imposed isolation. While the lyrics are now more of a collaboration with his father and poet Einar Georg Einarsson, Ásgeir delivers an album that juggles themes of memory, nostalgia and heartbreak with great sincerity and emotion. 

It’s a very heartfelt affair but wallowing in this much emotion does at times leave us wishing Ásgeir would break out a few party tunes. The title track almost achieves this but exudes a simmering anger with its backwards parting glances. Interestingly, John Grant has again translated Ásgeir’s lyrics. It does leave us wondering if perhaps Grant might be Ásgeir’s secret agony aunt. Jokes aside, this is another accomplished album with plenty of depth from a talent who aims to reward his listeners.