Kúra - "Halfway to the Moon" [REVIEW]

Kúra- "Halfway to the Moon"

author: Nona Karnowska (soundcheck)

The debut album of the Danish-Icelandic trio Kúra was released on the 30th of April. It’s entitled “Halfway To The Moon” and contains 10 minimalistic, electronic tracks. It’s a great debut that proves that the Scandinavian music scene is as strong as ever.

The album, as a whole, is very consistent and even, like a properly composed and realized plan. But let’s start from the beginning…

“Halfway to the Moon” can be characterized by a flawless precision of sound that creates a feeling of calmness and quietness. There is something about it that brings the spacious landscape of the North to my mind. I don’t know whether this is due to the voice of vocalist Fanney Ósk or this sensation is caused by the melancholic minimalism of the instruments... Maybe both.

It starts strong with “Joe” and has the listener hooked directly. The rhythmic beat in combination with an intriguing vocal makes it one of my favorites on the album. “Joe” is followed by “Halfway to the Moon” – a song with a lovely, melodic chorus. The male and female vocals correspond so well here. The same can be said about the next - “Crushed Ice”, although this one is much sadder, probably one of the saddest on the album... “Watch me fall, watch me go, watch me choke and watch me die...”. It sounds beautiful though.

Number belongs to “Anchor”, another of my favorites, with a very memorable melody. Fanney’s trembling vocal is totally perfect. Melancholy pours out of the next “Invisible” – a very short song, delicate and powerful at the same time.

Halfway through we reach “Follow Your Heart”. This track has a strong, electronic beat and is one of the liveliest ones which gives it a lot of concert potential.

Next up is the quiet “Gold”, before “Inhuman” with its’ original composition of sounds and, of course, beautiful vocals. We’re slowly coming to the end. “Goodbye” is the second to last track, instrumental and nostalgic. The chilly “Sirens” closes the album, its’ melody is created almost entirely by the voice.

The last song ends leaving the listener thinking – is this really the end? Unfortunately. I think this is probably the one thing I can complain about – the album is quite short. Nevertheless it is a very good debut. The music communicates emotions and that is a big big plus. It gets you into a calm, a bit melancholic state. Kúra is a band to have one’s eye on, they are really interesting now which makes me even more curious how their music will evolve in the future. 

Kúra - "Halfway to the Moon" --> on iTunes

01. Joe
02. Halfway To The Moon
03. Anchor 

04. Invisible
05. Follow Your Heart
06. Crushed Ice
07. Inhuman
08. Gold
09. Goodbye
10. Sirens