Interesting music
author: Paolo
Very interesting music...I like the rhythmics of every song.
My favorite song is "The coolest car": beautiful song!
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Exellent release from Hjortur Blondal
author: Jyllands Posten (Denmark)
Exellent release from Hjortur Blondal. He is a traditional singer, songwriter and musician. From the traditional school, but his grooving and fulfilling rocksongs are a pleasure to listen through. I find it odd that Blondal, who has been a vital part of the danish musicscene for so many years, is not a bigger part of the public conciousness. I hope "Keen Sabid" makes a change to that.
- Uffe Christensen, Jyllands Posten.
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Hjortur's version of the traditional country song "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow
author: Bliss Aquamarine
Third album from Hjortur Blondal, Icelandic artist living in Denmark. He seems to have a very eclectic set of influences, and creates a sound (or rather a series of sounds) which is both catchy/poppy and highly original. The Coolest Car is a great slice of quirky pop-rock-dance. New York Woman begins as a laid back song with an ambient influence but bizarrely changes into a 70s style rock number. I'm not normally a fan of country songs, but Hjortur's version of the traditional country song I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow is excellent, performed as it is in a laid-back and off-centre electronic style. Lift Off! is a bit punky, but whereas most punk is pretty much a cliche, Hjortur's version of punk is anything but.
I'm Leaving For Chicago is an inventive mixture of psych, folk, electropop and rock - really excellent. Don't Let Me Know blends laid-back pop, beats, spacey electronics and an almost proggy sound in the chorus. Call is one of the least genre-hopping songs here, being a slow and melancholic ballad, but it is no less well crafted than anything else here. Take It has beats reminiscent of 80s house music, alongside a 70s-ish rock riff, a spacey/proggy keyboard and rappy vocals. The Weather Was Fine is brilliant melodic janglepop with additional spoken bits; the lyrics to this are very witty. Don't Take It Away is another great pop song, this time with added banjo, harmonica and electronic beats. Do, Do, Do What You Wanna Do is really great catchy powerpop.
I don't throw around phrases like 'creative genius' lightly, but can safely say Hjortur Blondal is a creative genius. He mixes together styles that you'd never expect to sound good together, and most people would never dream of combining, and the end result is throughly impressive. Despite being a mixture of genres, plus a generous helping of Hjortur's own sound, the music doesn't sound like a messy hotchpotch of styles, and neither does it sound like a forced effort to sound off-the-wall; it's simply the work of a musician with his own ideas. - kim
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"Hjörtur should quickly find his way to the top"
author: Keyboard Magazine (USA), May, 2003 by Robbie Gennet
Keyboard Magazine (USA), May, 2003 by Robbie Gennet -
Hjortur Blondal hails from Denmark, and his grooving new disc rides the line between traditional rock and a more ambient House music. Keyboards abound both melodically and as padding, and the range of different sounds gives the music a futuristic electronic feel. There are some really cool keyboard sounds on songs like "Everything is Moving," where the heavy synth bass really propels the groove. Hjortur's only cover is his very strange ambient version of "Man of Constant Sorrow," and though it's an odd choice of cover, it manages to work with his treatment. Keen Sabid was created entirely by Hjortur, from the writing and performing to production and artwork, and he's truly made his manifesto to the world. I find myself reminded of Peter Gabriel on more than few songs, though Hjortur is not a copy or clone. I don't know how the Danish rock scene is doing these days, but Hjortur should quickly find his way to the top, and hopefully out to the rest of the world. - Robbie Gennet.
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