When ‘Airy Met Fairy – Glow

Everyone has that musical genre that they cannot stand, you know, the one that sets your teeth on edge like nails down the blackboard. And every so often, a record will come along and challenge that view, and have you wondering why the other stuff seemed so irritating because it can be done well.

Sadly, this is not that album.

Nordic duo, When ‘Airy Met Fairy launch their debut album Glow on 7th July 2018, following from their single releases, ‘Until Your Season Dries’, and ‘When I’m Old’.

This album, and style, can be placed with the numerous TV ad music songs currently in vogue. Twee, almost childlike female vocals over a plinky plonky piano background. In fact, I could have sworn that I had heard the opening track, ‘123 Magic’ before.

Singer Thorunn Egilsdottir sounds a bit like fellow Icelander, Bjork, at times, but the album does not have the diversity, quirkiness or uniqueness that her compatriot has. It feels disingenuous to sound so negative about an album, because it has been well produced, and nicely packaged. It just does not float my boat, rather, it makes me want to grab the nearest lifebuoy and jump off of it. If, however, you like simple tracks delivered with a breathy, yet fractured style, then you will love this album. 

There is no real standout track for me, and the only positive comment I can find is that it does blend well together. But it is no more than background noise, and pretty inoffensive at that, if you like the style, and this is my problem with it. Lyrically, themes range from parenthood (the aptly named ‘Daughter’) to divorce (‘Until Your Season Dries’), but the lauded melancholic dreamlike style was just too much for this listener, and I found it hard to concentrate on the subject matter in question without drifting off elsewhere. If you are looking for something that is lyrically challenging, and musically diverse, you may be disappointed. Which is a shame for what is actually a well put together and engineered production.

The independently released Glow is out now.