Twosomeness

Pascal Pinon’s Jofridur and Asthildur Akadottir have done some growing up between their 2010 debut and their sophomore album, Twosomeness. Still in their teens, the Icelandic sisters show greater vocal nuance and command of songwriting form here, aided by the expert production hand of Alex Somers (Sigur Ros, Jónsi). What remains constant is the daydream-like quality of the duo’s music, realized in the Akadottirs’ gossamer vocals and sweetly insinuating melodies. Singing in both Icelandic and English, Jofridur and Ashthildur suggest whispered confidences under warm blankets on a long Scandinavian winter’s night. The sparkling flow of “Ekki Vanmeta” and the bittersweet pang of “Somewhere” reflect their extroverted side, while the brooding “When I Can’t Sleep” and the hypnotic “Kertio” invoke more private reveries. “Sumarmal” catches them at their most childlike, with a nursery-rhyme cadence and burbling sonic textures. Twosomeness benefits from an inspired blend of acoustic folk and low-fi electronica and is a shy, strange, haunting triumph.