Indie Music Album Reviews

Vinyl Floor - peninsula

8/15/2013

Vinyl Floor

Peninsula
Karmanian Records I/S; 2013

3.8 out of 5

By Eva Cantillo

Peninsula is brought to us by Vinyl Floor, a Grammy-nominated band from Denmark that brings a rich and genuine sound to its audiences. Even though this is only their second studio album, the band has already played over 130 shows internationally, which is something that translates their sheer musical talent and directive production.

Vinyl Floor is comprised of three artists and any listener will immediately notice the richness in the sound of the album. Many of the songs have been accentuated by the Vindla String Quartet, which adds classical string tones into the music that makes up Peninsula. The concept behind the album is one of darkness and lightness, and in this case, more specifically those tones are illustrated by utopian and dystopian concepts.

The opening track “Frames and Orchids” is somewhat somber and may be an ode to the dystopian realities of life. The song is even more dramatic as it is void of vocals. Later on in the album, the lead singer’s voice emerges and sings to listeners about the inherent ups and downs of life. “What Lies Ahead” is a song that is directly questioning our future and the circumstances we may find ourselves in; “are we getting smarter?/tomorrow’s just another day.”

It is somewhat apparent to the listener which songs are concerning either a dystopian or utopian concept, yet it seems as though the concepts are described through specific situations rather than from a larger political or economical view. The song “Diverging Paths” has a slow and deep intro and then dives into some super feely and somewhat saddened lyrics talking about the separation of two souls as they choose different paths. This song perhaps represents a dystopia through the concept of lost or misguided love. “King of Dystopia” also has a similar topic as it describes complicated love.

Peninsula really has some beautiful music to offer to the listener; high quality songs with the grandeur addition of classical music. There is also a relatable story to be heard as the artists explore both positive and negative concepts.