[dream-pop, electronic] (2025) múm - History of Silence [FLAC] [DarkAngie]

Review:
When Icelandic ensemble Múm first appeared at the turn of the century they immediately stood out for their unique blending of organic and electronic sounds. It may not have translated into a similar level of commercial success enjoyed by fellow compatriots such as Björk and Sigur Rós but early albums like Yesterday Was Dramatic, Today Is OK and Finally We Are No One confirmed them as a proposition to watch out for. Over the years they continued to release music that upheld their enchanting, twinkling aesthetic (on albums like Summer Make Good and Sing Along to Songs You Don’t Know). History of Silence is their first album since 2013’s Smilewound, and the time away has had a refreshing effect, giving them a chance to hone their sound while remaining true to their origins. The band have spoken of how they have been exploring the ideas of space and distance in their music, which has relevance both in terms of where the album was recorded, and the music on History Of Silence (tracks on this album were worked on across multiple locations in Italy, Germany, Greece, Czechia, Finland, USA and their homeland). This geographical diversity may not have directly impacted their sound but it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume it has helped foster the sense of confidence and assuredness that permeates the album. Miss You Dance is the most delicate of openers, exquisite in its lightness and arriving just on the right side of tricksy. Kill The Light occupies similar ground, a frail vignette that is the sonic equivalent of dew on the early morning leaves. These moments show how they now pursue a more organic path, with former mild idiosyncrasies smoothed out and experimental tendencies regulated. It also positions them closer to fellow Icelanders Amiina. This doesn’t make for a less engaging experience, however. There’s a warm intimacy to Mild At Heart with its whispered vocals while Avignon features sliding strings alongside understated piano runs. They all add up to the sound of a band almost cautiously emerging from hibernation, playing music that surreptitiously tiptoes through the dark, early hours. On Only Songbirds Have A Sweet Tooth the vocals are more foregrounded with an added element of suspense while the arrangements on Our Love Is Distorting are more dynamic, the closest they get to their earlier work. Next, A Dry Heart Needs No Winding recedes back into low key serenity with its gossamer textures and I Like To Shake offers a sepia-tinted finale, possessing a cinematic lushness that recalls the soundtrack work of Alexandre Desplat and Yann Tiersen. In many ways it’s hard to believe that Mum have been making music for almost 25 years, their music having a youthfulness and innocence that belies that milestone. History Of Silence is a quietly alluring piece of work and stands up as an elegant evolution of their sound. — musicOMH



Track List:
01 - Miss You Dance
02 - Kill the Light
03 - Mild at Heart
04 - Avignon
05 - Only Songbirds Have a Sweet Tooth
06 - Our Love is Distorting
07 - A Dry Heart Needs no Winding
08 - I Like to Shake
Media Report:
Genre: dream-pop, electronic
Origin: Iceland
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.3.0 (UTC 2013-05-26)
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