Teitur - Poetry & Aeroplanes
A rewarding aspect of Poetry and Aeroplanes is its uncluttered approach. Teitur seems content at simply being who he is.
Urban based music is often similar to the structures that reside within its boundaries; crass, monolithic and mechanized to extents. No matter its outlet, be it hip hop, rock, punk, metal; its base expression rests on tales of disillusion, apathy, violence, drugs and other vices analogous to the lives entangled in concrete, steel and stone. We however, do take a liking to this form of negative influence – torrid anecdotes of sin and booze make for good song material; as do street thuggery and voices of upheaval and rebellion. Although such substance plays well to our most human of temptations, it is perhaps those who overcome these tragic follies and in their own creative, socially conscious ways influence others to do the same that has intrigued us the most.
It is a far cry from their rural counterparts. Who in their tranquil locale, often evade the same topical prose that seemingly becomes the norm for street-wise musicians. Surrounded by aging vistas, endless prairie lands and the frolicking wild, they tend to envision Earth’s unruffled surface in their manipulation of music. Those restful trees and soulful hills have plenty to say, but they speak of reflections, longings and love’s narratives in what is often far more simplistic and rustic. Key toned guitars are often unaccompanied, unhurried – coupling the lasting echo of music’s cowboys and lone heroes. Teitur is such a figure; hailing from the Faroe Islands, his craftful guise of guitar strung musings into one’s heart is likely to paint pictures of this apparent solemnity, one as graceful as its greenery visage and insightful meandering.
While graciously pop, the melodic undertones of the opening “Sleeping With the Lights On” is as far into accessible as Teitur will venture. Buoyed by rhythmic arrangements and its sensitively coy pop bass lounging, it distinctly reminds ears of Sting’s chic nature. Strengthen by Teitur’s deep vocal quality; its passable appearance is smartly kept in check by its unrepeated impression, avoiding the moment it passes from good natured to average.
His calm insightfulness is at a visible peak in “I Was Just Thinking”, a beautifully donned stringed whisper that best reflects this sense of solemn ground. Nimble and perfectly pastoral, it is the thoughtful disposition of that lone musician; resting in an aura of lovelorn contemplation, “I was just thinking / that I have been missing you for way too long / There’s something inside this weary head that wants us to love”, before resting in aching desire, “I’m tired of calling you / missing you / dreaming I’ve slept with you”. The track is wonderful in its ‘castle-in-the-sky-like’ daydream, blessed by its comforting ambience and quiet rustling.
Most of Teitur’s lyrical themes rest on wayward romances and all that equates to the matters of the heart; just take a gander at some of his chosen song titles: “Josephine”, “One and Only” and “Amanda’s Dream” – but as you tag along with the soft folk string-along of “Josephine”, with its culled words, “My sweet Josephine / Are you still racing stray dogs across the old stream? / My neighborhood queen”, it is clear that HIS heart is capable of delivering these recollections in a proficient manner. And like the no-frills balladry of “One and Only”, or the keyed escapism of “To Meet You”, his ability to move is as competent as his sharp contemplative charm.
Another rewarding aspect of Poetry & Aeroplanes is its uncluttered approach. Teitur seems content at simply being who he is; a talented, self-sufficient good guy who revels not in tattered grounds of overzealous experimentation and bizarre directions. His gifted scheming of what many say are the most romantic of instruments (the timeless strings of a guitar and the majestic ivory of a piano), are indicative of his spiritual and vastly grassland understanding. It is ideal in a time of stone, that the most pertinent of musicians paint pictures of well-being; a statement affirming that while many revel in the confines of concrete disillusion, there are those lone few who sleep in peaceful meadows.
(Universal Music)