Borko

With Celebrating Life, it’s clear Borko’s out to stir up some emotion. From start to finish, this Icelandic artist’s debut searches out and hits as many emotional triggers as possible. Moody pop rock electronica builds, collapses and builds up again, weaving into concise, drama packed epics that combine heavy doses of guitars, brass, strings and drums with tumbling samples and programmed beats. It’s a sound that’s very much at home alongside Morr label-mates like Ms. John Soda and B. Fleischmann. But unlike the label’s elite, the urge to push Celebrating Life to some great heights can work against, rather than for, Borko (real name: Björn Kristiansson). At times, the unrelenting build-ups and emotive tactics seem a bit too forced and strategic, never taking the time to relax and highlight some of the more subtle, and often more interesting, textures floating below. Nevertheless, Borko shows a lot of ambition on this debut, even if it’s sometimes misdirected.