I knew the name Hafdis Huld from her days (at age 15) with Icelandic electronic band GusGus and I have seen records that she has more than 6,000,000 Spotify streams but I have lost sight of her since the birth of her daughter 5 years back.
This doesn’t feel like a ‘comback’ album but rather a new energy to make music again and it has a really fresh and summery feel to it, the feel of a person who has happiness in their soul. The music has many folk elements but more, she is a singer with a delightfully ‘poppy’ voice and her songs seem to represent the world as she sees it now.
First single is the lovely ‘Take Me Dancing’ really capture the simple joy of finding a boyfriend, a potential lover, and enjoying the act of dancing, just to enjoy the closeness and the joy. Light and sweet, it has a real sense of air and light about it.
All the songs seem to be about life and the happiness that can be wrought from a life filled with people that you want in your life. The overwhelming impression is of a lady whose life is full and close. She isn’t concerning herself with global politics or the breakdown of the ecosystem; she is discovering herself and judging no-one else.
To quote her “Social media can make us feel inadequate and there is a generation now growing up with the constant pressure to think bigger, get richer, become thinner and have a more fabulous life. I think it is important to remember that life is not a competition. If you have enough then you should allow yourself to be happy. It is ok to dream small”
The album is lovely and much more satisfying than many of the outrageous bump & grind noiseniks. Sometimes pretty and happy is good.
