I must admit I’ve never been a dedicated follower of eccentric Icelandic pop collective múm. In fact, my múm collection have doubled with ‘Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know’, their fifth studio album proper. Which means I won’t and can’t do an in-depth analytic comparison of this and earlier achievements. What I can and will do, however, is call ‘Sing Along…’ brilliant!

Along with a Finn and several other Icelandic musicians, founding members Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason move in mysterious, yet impressively accessible alt-folk ways with all sorts of ukulele-dulcimer-trumpet-strings-and-whatnot stuff going on underneath always irresistible pop melodies.

In a tension field between deliberate blipping ‘n crackling sounds and noises, curious vocals and the organic – something also found on Sin Fang Bous aka Sindri Már Sigfússon’s solo debut ‘Clangour’ – múm have created a beautifully complex siren song that will lure you in, but instead of having you crash on unfriendly shores you’re abundantly rewarded.

Know these songs and then sing along from the top of your lungs…

Genre: Pop/Alt-folk
Who: múm
Album: Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know
Label: Morr Music/Bonnier Amigo
Year: 2009
Country: Iceland
Language: English
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Recommended tracks:
If I Were A Fish – Sing Along – Prophecies & Reversed Memories – A River Don’t Stop To Breathe – Blow Your Nose – Last Shapes Of Never – Illuminated