Music / Iceland
Review: Vök, The Louisiana
The framed pictures of the household names at the Louisiana leave punters pondering whether the act currently playing upstairs will have pride of place on the same bar walls in years to come. Starting out as a two-piece, Vök formed in Reykjavik in 2013, won an Icelandic national battle-of-the-bands-style affair (no mean feat in a country with seemingly more indie bands than sheep) and look to be on a serious trajectory. Citing inspiration from Massive Attack and drawing comparisons to The XX, critically-acclaimed single releases such as Before and Waiting have seen Vök continue to enjoy much appreciation from their homeland and, increasingly, abroad. Now a maturing quartet, the band concluded their recent European tour with a first visit to BS1 on the back of their recently launched debut full-length album, Figure.
Like their previous EP offerings 2013’s Tension and 2015’s Circles, Figure is a seriously innovative collection of contemplative alternative pop, with jangly catchy keyboards and crunchy electronics backing up singer Margret’s Rán’s flexible wails and whispered forlorn lyrics. Tonight’s edgy opener Breaking Bones saw Rán’s breathy echoes of… ouch… Björk (there’s another kronur in the Icelandic-musical-cliché swear jar) swirl through the Louis and grab the attentive and sizeable crowd from the start.
With tracks often at only three minutes each, the band were able to pump through much of Figure, on-stage attention being drawn to Andri Mar, trademark floppy fringe chirpily bobbing in time in between some euphoric dream-pop sax moments. Four tracks in, Show Me saw the audience’s heads join in, whilst what was almost dancing was reserved for the more familiar Circles, Waiting and the quality concluder Waterfall.
is needed now More than ever
So, a future framed place for Vök on the Louisiana bar wall of fame? Go Figure…
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