I’ve written about the Axel Flóvent album, so I guess a quick mention of the new CeaseTone single is definitely appropriate, particularly given that founder Hafsteinn Þráinsson is a long term collaborator of Flóvent – who in return contributed vocals to their last single ‘Creatures of the Night’.
Hopefully NMR readers don’t need any introduction to CeaseTone, who I’ve followed the progress of since the early days – their 2016 album ‘Two Strangers’ remains an absolute favourite. But Hafsteinn has always been looking to experiment with their style of music music, and they have now developed into an interesting fusion of folk, rock, electronica and even chamber music.
I certainly liked ‘Creatures of the Night’ and it probably demonstrated their ability to write more commercially appealing songs, but for me ‘Continents’ is a just such a special Ceasetone song. It opens with the simplicity of one of their early tracks, just guitar and vocals, but in typical Ceasetone style it just builds and builds, and along the way we’re treated to a gorgeous piano contribution, strings, and restrained synths, all leading up to a section where they’re all layered on together, an almost impossibly beautiful and complex mix of sounds.
I don’t think I’ve seen any confirmed dates for the long awaited 2nd album, but it’s definitely shaping up to be a highlight of 2021.