Yndi Halda: Enjoy Eternal Bliss

Old Norse for “enjoy eternal bliss”, Yndi Halda seems an odd name for a youthful UK-based boy band. Their full-length debut, however, shows just how apropos the identifier is … the four songs that go on for over an hour are more relaxing than yoga. Titles like “A Song for Starlit Beaches” and “Illuminate My Heart, My Darling” imply a penchant for romantic ambience, but each of these epic songs is a charged instrumental mix exploring a range of musical emotions. The post-rock sound sounds like Sigur Ros without a vocalist. Like Sigur Ros, they draw from the landscapes of home to produce unusual ebbs and flows on violins, clarinets, and glockenspiels. A mix of subtlety and gusto, the visceral and poetic soundscapes easily explain why these teens from a small, sleepy fishing village beat out Explosions in the Sky and Mono on Decoymusic.com’s 2005 vote for best instrumental album. Yndi Halda has woven a beautiful tapestry with their debut.