Quarashi - Jinx

Reykjavik, Iceland seems to be a musical epicenter as of late. With Iceland already boasting the likes of Sigur Rós and Björk, they’ve decided to give up one more, Quarashi. Surely, you’ve heard “Stick ‘Em Up” by now, it’s all over MTV and national radio. If you were like me and you didn’t think much of that Beasties-esk, guitar driven rap, there’s still hope you might like the rest of their US debut, Jinx. Unlike it’s money-makin’ sibling, the rest of the tracks on Jinx show us that the group can dig a bit deeper and draw influences from almost every genre. Furthermore, Sölvi Blondal, the band’s producer, sequencer, and drummer, knows how to seamlessly incorporate live drums, DJ scratches, driving guitar riffs, vintage vocal loops, and rubbery bass lines into each song. Basically, just know that the rest of the album showcases more of a “bob your head” vibe, rather than an “I’m gonna punch you in the face!” attitude. Let’s face it, some guys from Iceland yelling, “stick’em up,” aren’t going to intimidate too many people. A couple notable tracks from Jinx are “Malone Lives”, “Mr. Jinx”, “Tarfur”, and the mellow “Dive In”. The fourth track, “Malone Lives”, pairs a simple beat with a chorus-tainted keyboard. Combined with some catchy vocal delivery, an infectious chorus, and sing-a-long outro, it makes for a decent tune. “Mr. Jinx” opens with a loose drumbeat opposite a funky horns sample, which shortly gives way to one bouncy bass line colored with sporadic keyboard bits. The three MCs, Hössi Olafsson, Steini Fjelsted, and Omar Swarez, shine on this track, displaying their reasonable talents in phrasing rhymes and handling live vocals. “Tarfur”, performed completely in Icelandic, brings together 70’s funk styled instrumentation and a disco influenced chorus. The second-to-last track on Jinx, “Dive In”, shows that the group can arrange a down tempo ballad as easily as any other tune on the album. Each track in the set unfolds to reveal that Quarashi are much, much more than what commercial media has led the public to believe. In the past few years I’ve realized that I should never base decisions by too much of what I read, see on TV, or hear on the radio. These days, I usually wait until I can hear an entire album before I accept or dismiss a group. I’m thankful that I took the time to listen to Quarashi’s Jinx, and I hope you’ll give it a first, or second, chance. [www.quarashi.net]