Feldberg
Don’t Be A stranger
(Smalltown America)

Feldberg make electro pop for people who don’t do electro pop. Their 2011 album ‘Don’t Be A Stranger’ is packed full of gorgeous melodies, not unlike those of The Beach Boys or Big Star, if those bands swapped their power pop for breezy Icelandic tunes. These melodies are sung with obvious glee by leading lady Rosa Isfeld. Songs like ‘In Your Arms’ and ‘House of Fun’ shows the bands pop sensibilities, but they’re clever enough to leave space for the songs to breath, not bogging them down in busy synths and drumbeats.
However, the band is not a one trick pony, in ‘Eleven’ they show they can do acoustic campfire folk with the best of them, to me this is a standout track and could easily be slotted into Radio 1′s playlist with ease. On tracks such as ‘Dreaming’ Feldberg also do the boy-girl duet thing which is reminiscent of Summer Camp in ways, but with such lush melodies it never seems overplayed or boring. I think what ‘Don’t Be A stranger’ achieves best, is that it sounds like a familiar album, it sound like an album you’ve heard growing up with its childlike melodies, yet they use unusual instruments and phrasing so that it remains fresh and extremely current. It shares some elements of Iceland’s most famous chanteuse Bjork, in that the this a quirky, unique debut offering, which is sure to catch the ears of many a 20 something lounging on a beach, under a tree or simply wasting the day away.

This isn’t a perfect album by any means, at times the saccharine sweetness of it all gets a bit much. I found myself longing for a song with a bit more grit and punch, but Feldberg do what they do well, they’ve created an album full of relaxing, chilled out pop. A great summer album despite it’s flaws.
Verdict: A sweet and solid effort from Iceland’s up and comers. 7.5/10
Tracklist:
In Your Arms
Farwell
Dreamin’
Running Around
House Of Fun
Eleven
You & Me
Sleepy
Don’t Be A Stranger
Love Me Tomorrow