Review: Daði Freyr (Daði & Gagnamagnið) – 10 Years

Daoi Freyr and his group were robbed last year, Think About Things was the most likely song to win the competition, and was a glorious piece of smart lyrical choices, and a kitschy, funky beat. Despite that, it was not my go-to fun funk song of last year, as I felt maybe it needed more funky beats through the song.

Come in their new entry, 10 Years feels like a worthy, if even better, successor, to the success of Think About Things. While it has not reached the commercial success of the last song, it deserves it more.

Let us start with the vocals. Freyr's group consists of his sister, his wife, his friends, and of course, him. Freyr leads with the vocals, while part of the crew backs him. The overall female backing voices contrast well with Freyr's deep voice, leading to a blast. The rapid-fire hooks help a lot.

The instrumentation now is deeper than ever. Opening with theatrical strings, before opting for a long list of funky instruments. The booming drums also provide tons of joy. Suddenly, everything fades for the pre-chorus. Initially, this is a doubtful move, but the chorus brings things back on track. The chorus is simply a joy. Funk, and a load of fun. The hooks are fully developed.

Many other songs would be content leaving things at that, and repeating. But Freyr and the crew make a song that builds of their previous successes. At various points in the song, various unique choices keep us on our feet. Some of the best include a massive, gothic, choir. Another is the return of the theatrical strings. And of course, I would be a criminal if I did not mention the ridiculous old-school sci-fi synths.

If there is one issue I have with the song, it is the length. I feel they could extend it a bit further, especially after the final chorus. After all, the final few minutes of this song are really magnanimous. I was stuck between two ratings for this song. In the end, I picked the smaller one, but it might grow anytime.

Rating: 8.75/10

Image Source: NME