Search - Olafur Arnalds :: & They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness

Arnalds' beautiful music w/ zest added

William Merrill | San Antonio, TX United States | 08/15/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"(4 & 1/2 stars) After greatly enjoying composer Arnalds' previous release, Found Songs, I've also found a lot to like about his new album, called "...and they have escaped the weight of darkness." As before, the center of these instrumental themes is Mr Arnalds' piano, although Weight of Darkness also highlights a chamber ensemble more, and sometimes even moves into a relatively traditional rock music area (with Tony Levin on bass!). Plus there are both subtle and more obvious electronic touches mixed in to add atmosphere. These are often deceptively simple melodies that remind me somewhat of Ryuichi Sakamoto's soundtrack work. I.e., so much is unspoken or "between the notes." However, sometimes the themes are more complex and played out on a larger stage, as on "Gleypa Okkur," which starts with just the piano and builds to a more majestic level (with rock instrumentation - an electric guitar, even?), before dropping back off to a quieter finish. Where Found Songs was consistently stark and minimal, Weight of Darkness often uses a more standard melodic structure. As beautiful as this music is, it didn't move me quite as much as Found Songs did. However, it's still an impressive collection of instrumentals."