Úlfur

Having cut his teeth in several Icelandic acts, including Jónsi's touring band, White Mountain is the solo debut from Icelandic musician Úlfur Hansson. Hansson conceived of the album as a collection of personal memories and the roots for the tracks were collages of field-recordings made while he was on tour. The album is titled in reference to the novel Mount Analogue, by French avant-garde poet René Daumal. Blending ambient with classical instrumentation and samples, White Mountain is subtle, cinematic and doesn't stay still long enough to pin down, gliding more than skittering over several music styles. Tracks such as "Black Shore" evoke Matmos or Pantha du Prince, whereas "Heaven in a Wildflower," with its clarinet intro and classical instrumentation, is more akin to the organic, classical-imbued work of Polish composer Jacaszek. Notably, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig (of the Vermont Appalachian-style vocal trio Mountain Man) contributes her talents to second track "So Very Strange." This is a fantastic debut full of genuine warmth.