Review / 200 Words Or Less
Lockerbie
Ólgusjór

Kapitän Platte (2012) Sarah

Lockerbie – Ólgusjór cover artwork
Lockerbie – Ólgusjór — Kapitän Platte, 2012

I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this album quite as much as I did. Though it's not perfect, Lockerbie's 2011 release Ólgusjór is something that pretty much everyone will find something to like about.

They have the same kitschy Icelandic appeal and post-rock sound of Sigur Rós combined with the accessibility and songwriting of Coldplay. There are tons of bright pianos and synthesized brass; short, versechorus songs; predictable, gratifying melodies; and swelling cathartic buildups to be found on this album. Basically nothing that could possibly be abrasive to the senses.

The only major issue with it is that it tends to get a bit repetitive. There isn't a lot of change up in the sound on the album, and after forty minutes of it, you can get a bit sick of it. Then again, that tends to be a matter of personal taste; if that sounds like your thing, more power to you.

Though there isn't a lot of challenging material here, Ólgusjór is nonetheless a really enjoyable experience. If you need a nice, laid-back album to listen to that still has emotional movement, look no further.

6.5 / 10Sarah • July 19, 2012

Lockerbie – Ólgusjór cover artwork
Lockerbie – Ólgusjór — Kapitän Platte, 2012

Recently-posted album reviews

Onelinedrawing

RAINBOWMACHINE
Iodine (2026)

I grew up listening to the acoustic side of onelinedrawing. Those stripped-down Jonah Matranga songs had a way of making everything else disappear, often needing little more than a guitar, a voice, and an honest melody to completely pull you in. That's still the version of onelinedrawing that immediately comes to mind for me, so with Matranga having been relatively … Read more

Professor and the Madman

Dreamworld
FullerTone Records (2026)

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS – “Brand New World”, “12 Strings and Tambourines”, “Adams Street”, “Temple of Madness” It’s rare to find these days. A band (or maybe supergroup, in this case) that defies all genre boundaries and just…creates. Alfie Agnew (Adolescents, D.I.) and Sean Elliott (D.I., Mind Over Four) are familiar names from Orange County’s early 80s hardcore and psych-punk scenes, but … Read more

Chat Pile

Who Loves The Sun
Flenser (2026)

If Chat Pile were a film, they would be a dark thriller. The kind that builds tension until the end and, once we reach the third act, still might not ever show the killer. It's plodding and intense and, while I just pulled out a genre reference, the best thing about the band is how much they defy conventional musical … Read more