Music Review: Ólafur Arnalds – For Now I am Winter

Released: April 2, 2013
Label: Mercury Classics
Website: http://olafurarnalds.com/

Icelandic Ólafur Arnalds is known for creating hauntingly beautiful pieces of music. He’s even crossed writing a soundtrack for a movie and a score for a ballet off his bucket list. After listening to Ólafur, one may be surprised to find out that he had a hardcore/metal background. One could say that Ólafur kind of fell into making beautifully crafted piano and string infused music- and I’m so glad he did, because he is dang good at what he does. Arnalds starts “For Now I am Winter” slowly with the song ‘Sudden Throw.’ Strings make their debut about halfway through the first track. The build up sets the eerie and colossal tone that is heard throughout the whole album. As one travels through “For Now I am Winter,” expect to be filled with an extensive amount of different emotions. The fifth track ‘Words of Amber,’ will greet you with a painfully beautiful piano solo, which will melt your existence into the soles of your shoes. Ólafur will then re-build your existence in the eighth track, ‘Only the Winds.’ ‘Only the Winds’ builds up to another beautiful string ensemble which then diminishes into a crackly violin solo. Don’t worry if your existence is completely melted by the last track. It happens to the best of us. Pop in your ear buds and make your way through “For Now I am Winter.” You might just feel as if you are living out a real life epic movie.

Reviewed by: Laura Spurlock