Amiina

They’ve been seducing everyone with their delicate, wafer-light toy box electronics and string concoctions through some EPs but, finally, this four-piece from Reykjavik, Iceland put together a mesmerising debut album. Anyone who’s been entranced by a Sigur Rós live show may have noticed the four ladies accompanying the band, but here they definitely make a mark of their own. But, if you’re looking for something akin to Sigur Rós, you will be disappointed, as Amiina find their beauty in simple tones and chords, and never crowd their music, thus giving it full room to live and breathe. On the stunning "Rugia,” elegantly uncomplicated strings combine with found sounds and easy vocal harmonies. The music has been boiled down to the essentials and it makes its point without any needless clutter. There is warmth to these songs but it requires a little patience. Their approach is just as ambient as it is pop, sometimes falling towards electronic doodles, but at other times, like on the dazzling orchestrations of "Lóri,” it’s a beautiful, classically influenced pop. Utterly original and deceptively relaxing, Kurr is the fullest-sounding minimalist electro pop you’ve ever heard.