If Heaven exists then I believe we will be greeted by the soothing angelic vocals of Ásgeir upon our arrival. He reaches unthinkable heights with his vocal range and has a calming quality in the music he creates. ‘In The Silence’, Ásgeir’s breakthrough release in the English language was a massively important album to me in 2014 so I absolutely jumped at the chance to see him perform in person.
Those who chose to spend their Friday night at Room 2 in Glasgow were in for an evening of Icelandic treats with touring partner, Bríet opening up. Bríet took us through songs from new album ‘Act 1’ which details misery and heartbreak. She performed tracks, which were all written in Nashville, on her acoustic guitar, often accompanied by some additional backing tracks which further enhanced her performance. The songstress had a powerful yet delicate Halsey-esque voice with the audience hanging on her every word. Highlight of the set was Cowboy Killer as well as a stunning cover of Cher’s Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) which would stop anyone in their tracks if they were to witness it. I would love to see what she could bring to the table with a full live band behind her.
A swift 15 minute changeover meant the momentum of the night so far was not lost. Ásgeir, accompanied by a small band, journeyed through a set spanning his career so far. with a particular focus of newly released album ‘Julia’. This tour was in support of this album stacked with folk style songs, moving away from the atmospheric electronics he initially became known for. Ferris Wheel was a pleasant mid-tempo opener which was then followed by another new track Against The Current. Throughout the set his bass player switched to the lap steel guitar which was played very impressively and was effective in emphasising the country influences heard on Ásgeir‘s last few releases. Ásgeir then took to the keyboard for Dreaming and my personal favourite Torrent: a euphoric track which is goosebump inducing in the best way.
In the final half hour of the evening, we were graced with songs in Ásgeir‘s mother tongue as well as early album favourites, Summer Guest and King And Cross. Things came to a close with Universe Beyond and Julia before a final performance of Going Home signifying that the audience would also soon be going home. Room 2 was full with eager yet respectful fans who were truly enraptured by Ásgeir‘s remarkable musicianship and calming aesthetic. A comforting and moving performance from start to finish.
Relive the evening in the playlist below!