More Fans Monday: Eivør Pálsdóttir

Today on More Fans Monday, we are doing a special solo profile on my favorite female singer, Eivør Pálsdóttir - or as she's known, simply Eivør.

History
Eivør is native to the Faeroe Islands. (The Faeroe Islands are descended from the Norse and Gaelic, but is under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark.) Eivør debuted at the age of 12 when she traveled to Italy with the Faroese Men's Choir as a soloist [wikipedia.org]. At the age of 15, she dropped her formal education and worked toward carving out a name for herself in the world of music. In 2000, at the age of 16, she released her first album (self titled Eivør Pálsdóttir), featuring "a mixture of traditional Faroese ballads and new songs written by Eivør and her band, and performed with a folky and jazzy feel," [eivor.com].

A year later, she won the National Faroese Band Contest with her then band, Chickhaze. In 2002, she moved to the capital of Iceland and began touring with Chickhaze, to great success.

She currently resides in Denmark.

Discography

    Eivør Pálsdóttir (SHD 50, tutl 2000)
    Clickhaze EP (HJF 91, tutl 2002)
    Yggdrasil (HJF 88, tutl 2002)
    Krákan (12T001, 12 tónar 2003)
    Eivør (12T010, 12 tónar 2004)
    Trøllabundin (together with the Big band of Danmarks Radio 2005)
    Human Child (R 60117-2, RecArt Music 2007)
    Mannabarn (R 60116-2, RecArt Music 2007, Faroese version of Human Child)
    Eivör Live (SHD125, tutl 2009)
    Undo your mind EP (Copenhagen Records 2010)
    Larva (SHD 130 tutl 2010)
    Room (tutl 2012)

Song Review
The first song to be reviewed is a favorite of mine, Hounds of Love, originally by Kate Bush (1985). I enjoy Eivør's version much more than the original; this cover is soulful, inspiring, and ethereal. The original is more of a stereotypical 80s pop song with a strong, punchy beat and almost comical melodic howling. While not entirely unpleasant to listen to, Bush's version does not create a desire to actually listen to and interpret the meaning behind the lyrics, but rather makes listeners dismiss it as just another pop song. In the version presented by Eivør, the melody, visuals, and timing suggest a deeper meaning and allow the reader to develop a story in their mind.

The next song is darker, more raw and distorted than the last - Undo Your Mind. This song inspires much of my writing (novel-wise). It's hypnotic, slightly sinister, and full of pleasing visuals/movement (for instance, the hands at 0:11) and interesting color play - the contrasting of dark, unsaturated black, white, and gray moving to the warm colors of fire and the dancers' clothing.

Eivør's unique voice weaves a haunting image in the mind's eye that always makes me think of some sort of menacing mysticism in a society of urban decay and ancient, earthy traditionalism. It is this that shows clearly Eivør's Faroese roots.

Eivør Pálsdóttir is a truly incredible singer, striving to stay true to her roots and inspire others. Though she started at a remarkably young age, she was an instant success and will continue to stimulate the minds of all who will listen.

Thanks for reading, and remember: all good music invigorates the imagination!