Teitur left his homeland, the remote, beautiful, wild and weather beaten Faroe Islands in the far North Atlantic as a teenager. Ten years after the release of his first album, he has come full circle returning both to home and his musical roots to record his sixth album Story Music...

Story Music is something of an acquired taste. The first listen through and I was thinking "Is Teitur pulling our leg?" In amongst some truly interesting tracks we have some bizarre and unsettling songs - where Teitur just seems to sing the first thing that comes into his head. 'Gone Fishing', for example, just seems to be a random collection of thoughts as he describes mundane things he sees on a fishing trip.

The album opens with 'Hopeful', an interesting indie track. This is followed by 'If You Wait', which is a bizarre track where one word is sang, then stops. Then we start again and another word is added, and so on until the first verse is complete. It's a rather odd and unsettling track, but it certainly catches your attention. Equally, 'Monday' is a rather strange track, with eerie "It's Monday" lyrics.

The first single to already have been released from the album, 'Rock and Roll Band', explores the absurdities of rock and roll lifestyles - and wonderfully employs pedal steel, banjo and euphonium.

I'd argue that the highlight of this album is the beautiful 'It's Not Funny Anymore' which incorporates an orchestral arrangement by the legendary Van Dyke Parks whose fifty year career encompasses a host of classic compositions and arrangements, including many with Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.

It's an interesting album that's certainly worth spending a little time getting familiar with - the rewards are worth it.

7

Nick Smithson