Moddi - Set The House On Fire

Name a Scandinavian ambient outfit. 10 points if you voided Sigur Ros, 20 points if you named The Tallest Man On Earth and 50 if you said Moddi. Despite being a lesser known export, the Norwegian’s sophomore albums ‘Set The House On Fire’ fits the soaring-yet-fascinatingly-delicate typecast like a Viking shaped pair of flat pack sofas. But charmingly cosy sofas that contain no trace of dodgy substances.

As ‘Heim’ introduces the 26-year-old singer songwriter’s childlike vulnerability, a subconscious likeness to the subtle lilt of Jónsi and co is unavoidable. Pronunciation, tone and melodic phrasing are near-identical to several tracks from ‘Go’ with only the intimacy of a lone acoustic guitar separating the different stages of their careers. Various references to nature in lead single ‘House By The Sea’ strike further similarities until swells of strings and well placed percussion introduce some differences.

Unpolished production techniques and a raw vocal style used as a percussive layer in ‘Let The Spider Run Alive’ and ‘Soon You’ll Be Somebody’ showcase aspects of individuality. Just as the album’s continuous build starts to feels slightly predictable, the darker turn in ‘For An Unborn’ shows Pål Moddi Knutsen, as he’s known to his mates, is aware of his strengths and is at level that hasn’t disrupted any fear to experiment with textures to show off an ability to tell captivating stories. This is carried to the disorienting intro of ‘The Architect’ which, funnily enough, builds as Knutsen’s vocal negotiates dramatic rise and falls to reflect the schizophrenic appeal to the structure of the album.

This unpredictability is lost however in the latter stages of the album with several tracks failing to evoke the same attention grabbing structure and intriguing naivety. ‘Silhouette’ and ‘One Minute More’ verge on tasteful Nordic lift music until delicate licks and the emotive rasp insist that ‘Set The House On Fire’ is worthy of more than filling awkward silences.

A reprise of the opening track is a poignant reminder of the growth of Moddi, not only on this album but in the three years since we last heard from him. He’s developed a fearless quality and as the closing track tells of tales of feeling trapped on the Northern Line, not only can we empathise with him but it becomes apparent that he’s started to find a niche in the confides of Scandinavian stereotype. Not that stereotypes are always a bad thing.