This was the kind of show that brings people in from outside to see where that voice is coming from. Never mind that Ólöf Arnalds is also cozy and personable on stage, interacting with her very appreciative audience by describing the meanings behind her songs and occasionally asking, “So, how are you doing?"
Arnalds's vocal range is significant; she can hit clear high soprano notes, and swoop to contralto without losing power or volume. She accompanied her singing with an acoustic guitar and a charango, which looks like an armadillo-clad ukulele. Her stage partner, David Thor Jonsson, accompanied her on guitar and vocals.
Even if you can’t understand her native language, songs like “Klara” shine with such a sweetness that you can’t help but wish she had written a song for you, too. Arnalds explained that she had been playing some cover songs on this tour, and although she can sing a Johnny Cash song, she is a far better performer when singing songs that she has written, or that allow her to run up and down the musical scales.
Jonsson’s very capable vocals underscored exquisite interludes and instrumentals that brought Sarah McLachlan and Dido to mind. If Arnalds put some studio orchestration behind her arrangements, it would not be difficult to imagine her filling larger venues, but that audience would lose out on the distinctive connection she enjoys in smaller surroundings. After her last song, the audience clearly wanted more, and Arnald acquiesced with an a cappella version of an Icelandic tune that her father had sung to her. It was a lovely end to a lovely evening.
Ólöf Arnalds has one more stop in Portland and then it’s back to Iceland. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait for another CD release before she comes back this way.
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The opening act, People Eating People, composed of Nouela Johnston and an electric keyboard. Her opening sone (which was so good it caught me by surprise and I forgot to write it down) grabbed the audience immediately. They loved it and by the end of her third song, “Rain, Rain,” I wondered why I wasn’t hearing her on the radio. Johnston’s powerful, mournful voice stayed in perfect key, even when she used her feet as a percussion instrument. Who needs a drummer, anyway?
The group’s MySpace page lists other band members and their next Seattle gig is at the Comet later this month. With or without the rest of the gang, you won’t want to miss Nouela Johnston.
