For A Minor Reflection
The Lexington, London
02/11/2009

British banks and their bonuses may be back to business as usual, but in Iceland, the road to recovery has, understandably, been longer and slower. If there’s one magical ingredient that can re-energise the country, however, it’s surely their musical output. Because those cold, barren, financially depleted climes are host to a wealth of talented acts; from Björk to Jóhann Jóhannsson, múm to Mugison, Sign to Sigur Rós. Reykjavík’s For A Minor Reflection can also be added to that list of potential economic saviours. They’ve packed out a dark and sweaty Lexington on a Monday night – which, if they sell a t-shirt to each person here, could severely help resuscitate the economy of their homeland.

Facetious comments aside, though, this post-rock four-piece put on a stirring, striking show. They begin with one long, droning note which then slowly and steadily transforms into the swaying prelude for their opening song, one which builds steadily into a climactic swell of noise and feedback – a brain washed away with endorphins unable to function – that’s as controlled as it is chaotic, as fragile as it is feverish. Unsurprisingly, this is what happens in each of the rest of the songs that follow – that is, after all, what post-rock is all about – but there are enough subtleties and variations to mark these guys out from a genre over-saturated with homogonous, uninteresting members. Though more Explosions In The Sky than Sigur Rós, more visceral corporeality than ethereal spirituality, the cold front of their country is still captured vividly; the long, dark nights frozen as if in ice by the careening guitars in this ironically sweltering room. That they’re currently unsigned seems ridiculous, but judging by both their performance and audience tonight, that shouldn’t last long. And as long as they’re standing with the others, there’s hope for Iceland yet. 

Mischa Pearlman