It’s very cold out, and an eerie blanket of mist envelopes the Somers Town Church. It looks quite spooky and isolated as we approach, like the opening scene to a Hammer Horror film. Fortunately inside is candle-lit and parochial and full of people in knitwear: the Vicar of Dibley for indie folksters.
I arrive just in time to hear the end of Snorri Helgason’s set. He is soft-voiced, and liltingly lyrical. When Ms Arnalds arrives for her set she thanks him profusely then dedicates a song to him “I hope his wife won’t think this is inappropriate” she says with a smile before singing a sweet song to thank him for his tour support. That sets the tone for the evening, charming stories and beautiful songs from start to finish.
Occasionally singing acapella; what stands out in this venue particularly is her haunting child like vocals that veer from smouldering, old school chanteuse to ‘Milk-Eyed Mender’ era Joanna Newsom. She is flanked only by some acoustic guitars and her beloved Charango (An Andean stringed instrument made with the shell of the back of an Armadillo and sounds like a Uke).
This tour is largely in support of her Ólöf Sings covers e.p. and she talks about the old wedding tradition of “Something new, something old something borrowed and something blue” which pretty much sums up the set. She plays Caetano Veloso’s ‘Maria Bethania’ an old Irish folk song (during which she stops mid way through to act out bits of the story include building an imaginary wall) songs in her native Icelandic and also English from her back catalogue. The show stopper for me is her rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m on fire’, it sounds particularly moving in this intimate setting. Considering the delicate performance and close proximity of the 100 capacity venue; she is remarkably at home playing songs and telling tales. Even when church bells loudly toll their ten o’clock chant, she remains unfazed, even pausing between chimes and incorporating them into her song.
A charming performance and a rare treat, I hope the arctic wind carries her to us again soon.