Mountain Man / Jonsi

I'm not going to kid anyone here - I had little knowledge of either Mountain Man or Jonsi when I arrived at the O2 Bournemouth. Only a few scant youtube videos, some myspace info, and a couple of promo articles prepared me for what I was about to witness, and even that proved of little use. Luckily, my out-there hippy partner had prepared me for the show somewhat, and with a feeling of trepidation and intrigue I set off to a venue I remembered as a seedy nightclub from my youth. Luckily, O2 Academy hasn’t changed one iota, and I quickly felt at home in its outdated auditorium.

Mountain Man are a choral-folk group hailing from Bennington, Vermont and appeared onstage as a shy, quiet girl-trio with a very unassuming air. However, from the first note I wasn't ready for the simple beauty of their voices - singing triplet harmonies in a style reminiscent of old deep-south gospel and modern folk, MM took to the stage in the most unassuming of ways, creeping quietly from stage left and launching straight into the first harmonic. A simple, serene yet intoxicating number which stopped all conversation from the opening line, the three young girls at the front of the stage soon had the entire audience entranced and listening intently to their own flavour of indie bluegrass.

Even the addition of a guitar to the proceedings didn’t lift the spell: eschewing powerful riffs in favour of simple bassline-style notes to underline the simple tunes and lyrics, Mountain Man will never be accused of overstating their case when playing onstage. However, a minor criticism would be that their music never lifts above the sedate and calm; maintaining a level tempo, their set seemed to cry out for a couple of uptempo numbers, leading to some shuffling of feet and conversation as the set went on. The girls really need to overcome their shyness too: their talent is certainly in no doubt, but 40 minutes of stationary figures and slow hymns pushed many of the audience to restlessness.

I’m looking forward to future projects from Mountain Man, however; “How’m I doin’” certainly showed their range and timing abilities (and found me humming the chorus on the way back to my car), and a bit more polish and variance could really push these three into realms of something quite special. Serious kudos for their use of language, however, and they were certainly applauded well as they left the stage.

What to put about Jonsi certainly is difficult; I had no idea what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised at what essentially amounted to a cross between an avante-garde art show and a Muse gig, Jonsi certainly rose to the occasion. His music is a pleasantly difficult thing to explain; at times indie rock, at others near performance opera, there really is something for everyone, beautifully overwoven by some stunning artwork. In fact, at times, the art show was the core of the set; beautiful images and animations that are expertly crafted to match the tempo and feel of the music. Alex should be proud, as his work is as integral to the show as any member of the band that were onstage.

Opening with slow burner “Stars in Still Water”, Jonsi set the stage by appearing simply in a spotlight (and adorned in a strange braided top with tassels) singing sweetly with a touch of glockenspiel, before the swell of the set added other band member s and increased the tempo. Pacing the entire show proved a little troublesome, however, as Jonsi has a tendency to overplay the drawn out moments to the point of discomfort. I’m almost certain this was intentional, however, as the unbalance at times seemed to add to the atmosphere: Jonsi himself is one of the most awkward front men I have seen in a long time.

However, when they got going, boy, could the band play; “Kolniour” picked up the starting riff and ran with it, pushing the band into a frenzy of movement and sound, with the most beautiful video of a wolf chasing a deer in the background, hitting a crescendo that matched the visuals beautifully. Yet as the set hit its highs, it quickly was dragged back into the introspective soliloquising of “Saint Naive”, and the layered palette of tinkling riffs that are the signature of both Jonsi and his better known band too.

Highlights of the set were “Go Do” (despite losing a little something in the translation to the live stage), and final belter “Grow Till Tall”, complete with swirling aural motifs and backdrop of a terrible storm tearing the world apart as the music descended into aural chaos. Jonsi finally seemed to come into himself for the end of the set too, adding a tall feathered headdress to his costume and really throwing himself into the music.

I’m still undecided as to whether I saw Jonsi or experienced him; I certainly can say I enjoyed myself, although it is a little tricky to explain why. A fantastic use of textured sound perfectly blended with astounding visual work certainly raised the bar, but at times, Jonsi’s personal awkwardness and tendency to draw out the slow parts unbalanced the whole set. Certainly one for the arty set, Jonsi does also offer a lot to the casual listener; maybe not enough to make them lifelong fans, but certainly enough to create a night to remember.