Sprengjuhollin @ CMW 2009

Rancho Relaxo

Toronto, ON

on Mar 13 2009

Erik Missio (CHARTattack)

03/14/2009 12:06pm

Background/Composition:
They're an Icelandic Kink-y five-piece that sounds neither like Bjork nor Sigur Ros. They're more like the Beatles (both in their "clean" and "drug" periods) and/or Super Furry Animals. Snorri Helgason sings most of the songs, but turns are also taken by young-Sting look-alike Bergur Ebbi Benediktsson and keyboardist Atli Bollason (who kind of resembles how Jesus Christ would look like if the CW made a new TV series starring a young, clean, pretty messiah and all his cool friends). Sigurour Tomas Guomundsson drums, while bespectacled Georg Kari Hilmarsson plays the bass.

Grade: 91

Comment:
These boys exude charisma and have stage banter down to an art. Or possibly a science. They came a long way from Reykjavik to show Toronto that of which they were capable. They didn't disappoint. See them Saturday at Rivoli or fly down for SXSW before they head back to Iceland.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
80-100: Exceeds skill and knowledge expectations, i.e. rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
00-50: Has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

Learning Skills: E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: E
Pronunciation: E
Stage Presence: E
Stage Banter: E
Image: E
Appearance: E
Use Of Stage: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
Benediktsson in particular is hilarious, but pretty much all the guys took turns waxing philosophical on the shape of the Rancho Relaxo venue ("It's like we're all trapped in a sausage"), different idiomatic expressions in Icelandic and English, and various ways to force us to buy their album. They also taught us how to pronounce their name. But they're not a comedy band — their songs are very well-constructed, layered pop anthems.

Musical Analysis
Level Of Participation: E
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: E
Work Habits: E
Organization: E
Audience Participation: E
Sound: E
Composition: E
Songs: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
Except for one, all songs were in English. Like a lot of songwriters who don't have English as a mother tongue, the lyrics ranged from incredibly novel and clever to just a little bit silly. The lone Icelandic song was interesting, but to alien ears, the language isn't quite as smooth as, say, an Italian opera or francophone rap.

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: E
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: E
Sexiness: E
Haircut: E
Indie Rock Footwear: G
Nods To Disposible Fashion: G
Cool Equipment: G
Level Of Inebriation: G
Actual Ability: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
All five band members had impossibly soft-looking hair. This is an odd observation, but a true one nonetheless. They danced a lot on stage and became suitably sweaty, but the hair always looked good.