Album Notes

Iceland's Worm Is Green deliver an intricate synth-driven design on their debut album, Automagic, and they do it cautiously. They're not overly earnest about making a good first impression nor are they concerned about creating a glossy-slick production. Automagic is an intriguing post-rock/experimental set without a lot of frills, but you can sense that Worm Is Green are slightly hesitant in getting things exactly so. Actually, that kind of indecision makes this album flow beautifully, because the expectations of Worm Is Green falling into the vein of Sigur Rós or Björk can't apply here. Vocalist Gudrídur Ringsted is equally as hypnotic and alluring as those previously mentioned; however, Worm Is Green's delicate electronic orchestration is much more concentrated. From the crisp sampled wedges of "Shine" and the rhythmic pulses of "Sunday Session" to the sultry hums of "Amazing Things," Automagic gels without pressure. Even their cover of the Joy Division classic "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is done stylishly well with its new wave-tailored synth loops, but Automagic isn't all black-hued overtones. There's a quiet kind of playfulness lingering throughout the 13-song set that warms the album's overall electronic chill. Songs such as "Drive Thru" and "The Robot Has Got the Blues" capture such a dynamic. Worm Is Green successfully present different moods without losing their grasp in making an interesting sound. That's true art.

MacKenzie Wilson (www.allmusic.com)