Here Come The Vikings

previously of respected indie trio goya dress, 'here come the vikings' is astrid's most aggressively gorgeous record to date. hailing from the remote shetland islands she's been pegged as a folkie on her last couple of efforts, but that disregards both her sprawling versatility as an artist and her previous inclinations to rock to ecstatic, exhilarating heights. not so with 'here come the vikings' - electric astrid is back with a vengeance. as a vocalist, astrid has collaborated with the likes of electronic, arthur baker, this mortal coil / hope blister originator ivo watts-russell and european luminary stephan eicher, plus arranging and producing the music for british comedian robert newman's recent 'history of the world backwards' bbc tv series. running her own label, incarnation (via one little indian) she released electronica album 'air conditioning' by oskar. 'here come the vikings' is a bold, self-assured effort resplendent in detailed artful arrangements exploring the mysteries of faith, gender dynamics, and physical love. even without the electric component, the music remains vivid and full of emotion.