In the Silence

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In the Silence
Studio album by
Ásgeir
Released28 October 2013
StudioHljóðriti Studios, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
GenreFolktronica[1]
Length39:20
LanguageEnglish
LabelOne Little Indian
ProducerGuðmundur Kristinn Jónsson
Ásgeir chronology
Dýrð í dauðaþögn
(2012) 		In the Silence
(2013) 		Afterglow
(2017)
Singles from In the Silence
  1. "King and Cross"
    Released: August 2013
  2. "Going Home"
    Released: October 2013
  3. "Torrent"
    Released: 14 December 2013
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8/10[3]
Drowned in Sound8/10[4]
The Guardian[1]
The Line of Best Fit8.5/10[5]
musicOMH[6]
NME7/10[7]

In the Silence is the second studio album by Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir, and is his first all-English album. It was released digitally on 28 October 2013 and physically on 27 January 2014.

The album includes the same tracklist as his highly successful debut album Dýrð í dauðaþögn in the Icelandic language, but with translated or new English-language lyrics by John Grant (from original lyrics in Icelandic by Einar Georg Einarsson, Ásgeir's father).

The album has charted in Belgium and the Netherlands and the debut single, "Going Home", has charted in France.

While promoting the record, Ásgeir played acoustic cover versions of Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" on Dutch 3FM [1] and, to more acclaim, Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box" on the French radio station OUI [2], adding the latter to his live setlists, and eventually releasing it on the deluxe edition of the album.

Critical reception[edit]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, In the Silence received an average score of 78, based on 12 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". The Independent's Andy Gill remarked "In the Silence has a charm and presence that marks the young Icelander out as a significant talent, the appeal of its fragile hymns to nature and the numinous growing through the intervening months […] A natural wonder" rating the album four stars out of five.[8]] "There is a constant hint of melancholy that resides in the beauty of Ásgeir's high-pitched and unnervingly emotive vocals, which is brought out in the more brooding moments of the record," said Scott Kerr of AllMusic.[9] The Guardian's Alexis Petridis was less complimentary, judging the album to be "acoustic indie-folk of whimsical bent [...] [the record contains] very pretty songs, albeit of a kind that seem predestined to waft gently in the background of TV ads or romcoms."[1] Drowned in Sound's Paul Faller awarded the record four stars, declaring "The everything-but-the-kitchen-sink promotional campaign--an appearance on Made In Chelsea here, a cover of 'Wrecking Ball' on Dutch radio there—might smack of desperation. Fortunately, In the Silence is more than good enough to dispel any such impressions."[4]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson (music) and Einar Georg Einarsson (lyrics), except where noted. English translations by John Grant

In the Silence – Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Higher" 3:22
2."In the Silence"Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson, Júlíus Aðalsteinn Róbertsson3:54
3."Summer Guest" 3:44
4."King and Cross"Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson, Einar Georg Einarsson, Júlíus Aðalsteinn Róbertsson3:32
5."Was There Nothing?"Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson, Júlíus Aðalsteinn Róbertsson3:48
6."Torrent" 3:36
7."Going Home" 4:50
8."Head in the Snow" 4:14
9."In Harmony"Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson, Júlíus Aðalsteinn Róbertsson4:18
10."On That Day" 3:45
Total length:39:20
In the Silence – iTunes bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Soothe This Pain"Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson, Órvar Þóreyjarson Smárason3:22
In the Silence – Australian and Icelandic edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Lupin Intrigue"Guðmundur Jonsson, Randi Ward, Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson4:41
12."Soothe This Pain"Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson, Júlíus Aðalsteinn4:25
13."Going Home" (Toe Rag Sessions)Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson, Júlíus Aðalsteinn4:53
14."Summer Guest" (Toe Rag Sessions)Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson, Júlíus Aðalsteinn3:51
15."On That Day" (Toe Rag Sessions)Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson, Júlíus Aðalsteinn4:13
In the Silence – Deluxe edition CD three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dreaming"Þorsteinn Einarsson, Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson4:43
2."Ocean"Jón Ingvar Hjaltason, Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson3:29
3."It Will Rain"Þorsteinn Einarsson, Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson3:09
4."Stormurinn" 3:34
5."Frost"Július Aðalstein Róbertsson, Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson4:45
6."Soothe This Pain"Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson, Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason4:29
7."Nú Hann Blæs"Július Aðalstein Róbertsson, Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson4:57
8."Heart-Shaped Box"Kurt Cobain5:38
9."Torrent" (Toe Rag Sessions)Einar Georg Einarsson, Júlíus Aðalsteinn Róbertsson, Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson4:44
10."Going Home" (Toe Rag Sessions) 4:53
11."Summer Guest" (Toe Rag Sessions) 3:55
12."On That Day" (Toe Rag Sessions) 4:20
13."King and Cross" (Dot Major Remix) 6:11
14."Torrent" (Stay+ Remix) 6:18
15."King and Cross" (Liam Howe Remix) 3:55

Notes[edit]

  • "Nú hann blæs" is an Icelandic version of Ásgeir's Record Store Day single, "Here It Comes" (picture disc 7" limited edition, released as double a-side with "Heart-Shaped Box"
  • "Frost" is an Icelandic version of "Lupin Intrigue"

Personnel[edit]

Musicians[10]

Track numbers beginning with 3 refer to the bonus CD in the deluxe edition.

  • Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson – vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (all tracks), guitar (all tracks), bass guitar (tracks 6, 9, 10), keyboards (tracks 1–9), piano (tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10), programming (tracks 3-2, 3-3, 3-5, 3-6, 3-7, 3-8)
  • Sigurður Guðmundsson – keyboards (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9), piano (track 2), bass guitar (tracks 2, 3, 4), backing vocals (track 3), harmonium (track 5)
  • Kristinn Snær Agnarsson – drums (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 3-4, 3-6), percussion (track 3)
  • Þorsteinn Einarsson – guitar (tracks 2, 3), backing vocals (tracks 3, 10)
  • Samúel Jón Samúelsson – trombone (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 3-1, 3-6)
  • Kjartan Hákonarson – trumpet (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 3-1, 3-6)
  • Óskar Guðjónsson – saxophone (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 3-1, 3-6)
  • Valdimar Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson – bass guitar (track 1)
  • Ingi Björn Ingasson – bass guitar (tracks 4, 3-3)
  • Guðmundur Kristinn Jónsson – programming (tracks 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-5, 3-6, 3-7), keyboards (track 3-7)
  • Nils Törnqvist – drums (track 3-1)
  • Helgi Svavar Helgason – drums (tracks 3-1, 3-7)
  • Þórunn Ósk Harðarsdóttir – viola (track 3-7)
  • Guðrún Hrund Harðarsdóttir – viola (track 3-7)
  • Hrafnkell Orri Egilsson – cello (track 3-7)
  • Magnús Trygvason Eliassen – drums (track 3-8)

Recording personnel[11]

  • Guðmundur Kristinn Jónsson – producer, recording, mixing, engineering
  • Sigurður Guðmundsson – recording
  • Kristinn Snær Agnarsson – recording
  • Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson – recording, engineering
  • Friðjón Jónsson – assistant engineer
  • Liam Watson – Toe Rag Sessions engineering and mixing
  • Styrmir Hauksson – Toe Rag Sessions mixing
  • Samuél Jón Samúelsson – horns arrangement
  • Hrafnkell Orri Egilsson – string arrangements
  • Dot Major – remixing (track 3-13)
  • Stay+ – remixing (track 3-14)
  • Liam Howe – remixing and production (track 3-15)

Original version artwork[11]

  • Svarti Hrinhurinn – cover art (original version)
  • Jónína de la Rosa – photography
  • Bobby Breiðholt – design

Deluxe edition artwork

  • Bobby Breiðholt – design
  • Photography: Jónatan Grétarsson

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Weekly chart performance for In the Silence
Chart (2013–2014) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA))[12] 8
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[13] 42
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[14] 102
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[15] 36
French Albums (SNEP)[16] 32
UK Albums (OCC)[17] 40

Year-end charts[edit]

Year-end chart performance for In the Silence
Chart (2016) Position
Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi)[18] 82

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Empire, Kitty (26 January 2014). "Ásgeir: In the Silence – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  2. ^ "In the Silence Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  3. ^ James, Gareth (16 January 2014). "Asgeir – In the Silence". Clash. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  4. ^ a b Faller, Paul (20 January 2014). "Album Review: Ásgeir – In the Silence". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  5. ^ Day, Laurence (22 October 2013). "Asgeir – In the Silence". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  6. ^ O'Douglas, Ceiri (24 January 2014). "Asgeir - In The Silence". MusicOMH. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  7. ^ Huggett, Stuart (24 January 2014). "Asgeir – In the Silence". NME. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  8. ^ "Album reviews: Asgeir, Sheryl Crow, Drowners, Bill Callahan, David". The Independent. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  9. ^ Kerr, Scott, Ásgeir – In the Silence review, AllMusic
  10. ^ Dýrð í dauðaþögn (booklet). Ásgeir Trausti. Reykjavík, Iceland: Sena. 2012. SCD560.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ a b Dýrð í dauðaþögn (inner cover). Ásgeir Trausti. Reykjavík, Iceland: Sena. 2012. SCD560.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ "Ásgeir – In the Silence". Australiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  13. ^ Ultratop.be/nl/ Ásgeir - In the Silence album page (Belgian (Vlanders) Albums Chart
  14. ^ Ultratop.be/fr/ Ásgeir - In the Silence album page (Belgian (Wallonia) Albums Chart
  15. ^ DutchCharts.nl Ásgeir - In the Silence album page (Dutch MegaCharts Albums Chart
  16. ^ DutchCharts.nl Ásgeir - In the Silence album page (French Albums Chart
  17. ^ "Asgier | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  18. ^ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2016" (in Icelandic). Plötutíóindi. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
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