Daniel Agust - Swallowed a Star

“Throw me into the soft noise.” So says Icelandic singer Daniel Agust during “The Moss,” the second track off his debut solo record, Swallowed a Star. While his symphonic chamber pop can be considered soft, it’s certainly not noise. Agust is a co-founder of GusGus, a band that received great notoriety in their native land for their dance-friendly brand of electronica. Tight arrangements with minimal instrumental interplay of simple orchestral pieces strike a more somber tone here; with the album revolving around the cello and violin, they're as far from over the top as you can get. Picture the raw groove of Tom Waits or even Morphine but with a classical and ambient twist and you’ll get the idea. Comparisons to Sigur Ros are inevitable as well, but they’re justified as Agust’s vocal style often mirrors that of his fellow countrymen. Lyrically it’s simple and nothing to write home about, but you probably won’t be listening to the words when you hear Swallowed a Star's subtle beauty. [www.indian.co.uk]