Album Review by: Andrea Guy
Apparently there are a lot of good bands in Iceland and since there aren’t a lot of bands crossing over into the mainstream of US music these days, its hard to know that, but thanks to a recommendation I found Hafdis Huld.
Hafdis has a teeny tiny little voice but not in that baby way that can grate on your nerves after one or two listens. In fact her accent is so cute I found myself listening to Dirty Paper Cup for the better part of the day.
Its more than her accent that made me stick this CD on repeat though. She manages to write songs that are both pretty and witty, something that’s a little hard to find when it comes to female songwriters in this genre. Usually its all about love and lost love. Sure this subject is there, but not in the same way. There’s Happy Ever After that has a spoken word part that is adorable, especially when she talks about the guy that smells like honey and she really likes honey.
One of my favorite tracks on this CD is Plastic Halo. When I first heard it, I thought of the band Garfunkel and Oates, because they sing with the little sweet voices but sing songs that are just hilarious and pretty. How can you not giggle when this adorable little blonde girl is singing “I hope you choke on your plastic halo, cos it’s the right way for you to go?” It’s certainly a lyric that makes you stop and rewind to listen again.
That’s not the end of the unique and often funny lyrics. There’s also Ski Jumper. I’m sure that’s one of the only songs about that profession out there. Then there’s Fucked Up Mind. I’m partial to songs with Fuck in the title, so this one wins points with me, but its one of those songs that’s so pretty that you almost miss the f-bomb when she sings “I did the only thing that felt right to a fucked up mind.”
If one could actually decide which song was the best on Dirty Paper Cup, and with the Hafdis’ quirky and fun lyrics and her pretty baby doll voice, that’s a damn hard thing to do, but if you could it would have to be Tomoko. Why? Because Tomoko is the song about that perfect friend that you love and you love to hate. Plus the lyrics “You get loads of boys and toys when you want, if you want.”
Hafdis has created an album that is surprisingly refreshing. Give it a try and see what quirky brilliance really sounds like when hidden in the guise of a cute little girl from Iceland.
Watch: Tomoko
Genre: Folk, Acoustic
Sounds Like: Garfunkel & Oates
Website: HafdisHuld.com
Buy: Amazon
Released: Oct 1, 2006
Rating: 9.5/10
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