Jóhann Jóhannsson

And in the Endless Pause There Came the Sound of Bees (Type)

By Erin Lyndal Martin
Published: April 16th, 2010 | 7:00am

Jóhann Jóhannsson, one of Iceland's many musical über geniuses, gave himself a hard task in following the epic nature of his previous effort, Fordlandia (4AD). That album was watery yet stalwart and soothing yet dramatic, sprinkled with subject matter that ranged from Henry Ford's rubber plantation to the god Pan to the mishaps of rocket builders. And in the Endless Pause There Came the Sound of Bees is a worthy heir, though it never equals the ethereal drama of Fordlandia. There are moments of this drama such as the opening to "The Flat," which invites ambient, icy sounds, warm static, and gentle piano into its sonic landscape. Also evocative of Fordlandia is "Rainwater," a song which employs a branded Jóhannsson technique: an electric guitar recorded at top volume but mixed in the final production at a low volume, giving a sense of the epic mood within a small space.

Endless Pause still has an incredible amount of beauty to offer. "Siren Song" showcases Jóhannsson's gift for navigating sweeping orchestral arrangements steered by haunting choral work—and it does so in less than two minutes. No less impressive is the contemplative piano played over suspenseful strings heard in "The Gift," a song where a vocal chorus appears briefly to heighten the heavenly nature of the piece. As is par for Jóhannsson's course, there are no clunkers on this album. It's not one for dancing, but it makes a hell of a soundtrack for just about anything else.

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