- Record Label: Erased Tapes
- Release Date: Jun 8, 2010
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
It is not just the contemplative which is a joy--the previously mentioned transitions are the true moments which mark ...and they have escaped the weight of darkness's outstanding quality.
-
The album blends seamlessly into a long musical narrative that speaks of redemption without saying a word.
-
Arnalds' new piano variations are faint, plaintive, and unfurl their radiance like pallid moonlight over a halcyon lagoon.
-
This set's effortless poise elevates him to the genre's upper echelons. While this success is partly due to the suite's conceptual foundations and strategy, it also benefits from an expanded instrumental palette.
-
Instead of letting the music fool you, Arnalds is composed in presenting works that are full-bodied and mesmerizing.
-
Arnalds' game is more ambience than transcendence -- so the four very brief detours into Explosions in the Sky–style post-rock seem all the more cinematic.
-
UncutThe LP plays as a set piece, buut the frosted beauty of "Kjurrt" is a particular highlight. [Jun 2010, p.81]
-
On the few strategic spots in the album where Arnalds drops in drums and/or electric guitar and repetitive motifs, the effect is not dissimilar to the headier moments of the aforementioned Sigúr Ros, or perhaps early-'70s Pink Floyd at their most ethereal, showing the rock crowd that they too have a point of entry into this music.
-
As Arnalds' boldest and most ambitious take on the form he's pursued so single-mindedly--the robust yet ethereal, mid-tempo tearjerker--...And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness is a success for the composer, and for listeners who don't balk at a little unabashed pageantry.
-
Delicate string arrangements married with subtle synths highlight Arnalds' trademark piano sound with meticulous studio work revealing the familiar spacious high-skied landscapes of Sigur Ros (with whom he's toured).
-
There are definite hints and sparks of something fascinating here, a potential for something great to eventually emerge. But too often ...And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness relies on a starkness and simplicity that the unadventurous, sentimental chords are too slight and cliche to support.
-
Any of these tracks taken individually could inspire the grand emotions Arnalds is striving for. Received in a such a tiring bundle, however, the chilly beauty loses a great deal of its luster.