“I must confess that not much goes as planned,” sings Ampop’s Biggi on the Reykjavik trio’s fourth album, Sail To The Moon. He might very well be referring to his band’s career. Originally conceived as an electronic duo between Biggi and keyboardist Kjartan, Ampop’s first two albums (both of which were big hits in their native Iceland) were decidedly ambient outings. However 2005’s My Delusions found the band expanding to a trio by recruiting drummer Jon Geir and, in the process, discovering their hidden pop sensibilities. Loaded with all the aching beauty and crushing romanticism of Echo and the Bunnymen and the wistful, elegiac hooks of Radiohead, Sail To The Moon makes the case that the band’s pop proclivities aren’t hidden anymore. “You Could Be Lovely” comes with a big, crunchy chorus that benefits from a dramatic string arrangement, the title track’s Beach Boys-inspired harmonies quickly give way to a dose of ebullient pop and the ballad “I Don’t Want To Stay” suggests Keane’s more recent work. Elsewhere, in spite of its title, “Gets Me Down,” with its bouncing verses and sing-a-long chorus is one of the most upbeat songs of the year, the mesmerizing “Your Dream” perfectly captures the ephemeral nature of dreams, and “Temptations” is a swirling, cathartic affair.
~ Alex Green
