This is emotion-soaked music projected with a stylistic confidence that earned this band the highest rating (KKKKK) from Kerrang! magazine. These four musicians are the real deal, impressive at any scale: electric or unplugged, on the stage or in the studio. And it is their studio work that is most in the news today.
In November 2010 Agent Fresco released their first full-length CD, an ambitious 17-track concept album entitled A Long Time Listening. Recognized as “an amazing album by the best rock band in the country today” (Morgunblaðið), it was immediately shortlisted for best album of the year by Icelandic music critics of both national newspapers, as well as for a Kraumur Award, and for the Nordic Music Prize, not to mention climbing to #1 on the charts of the gogoyoko music download site. And the respect of their fellow musicians is reflected in the number of front-ranking Icelandic performers who volunteered to sing back-up chorus on the title track of the album.
Plans are now underway for an upcoming tour of Europe to capitalize on the publicity the album has generated, and to strengthen the recognition they acquired from previous concert & festival appearances in England, France (ClassEu’Rock 08’), Netherlands (Eurosonic 10’) Denmark & Czechoslovakia.
Recognition was not slow in coming to this group of music students when they formed Agent Fresco back in 2008 to compete in the annual Musíktilraunir (Battle of the Bands) competition, which they swept convincingly, winning not only the grand prize, but also individual prizes for best guitarist, best drummer and best bassist. Since then they have received a Kraumur Award for their 2008 EP Lightbulb Universe, and were declared Best New Band (Bjartasta Von) at the Icelandic Music Awards in 2009.
The strength of their performances at the Iceland Airwaves music festival has brought them to the attention of international media such as KEXP radio (Seattle) and Kerrang! magazine (London), who have posted online interviews and performances of Agent Fresco on their websites. More impressive still, they have attracted the attention of filmmakers Bowen Staines and Gunnar B. Guðbjörnsson, who included considerable footage of the band in their Iceland Airwaves documentary Where´s the Snow?! which premiered at the Reykjavík International Film Festival in 2010. The band received additional international publicity as the focus of two episodes in Bowen Staines´ Don´t Panic TV web series.
Critical attention is still sharply focused on this band in 2011 with their nomination for a prestigious DV Culture Award and three nominations for the Icelandic Music Awards: Performer of the Year (Agent Fresco), Vocalist of the Year (Arnór Dan Arnarson) and Rock Album of the Year (A Long Time Listening).
But what the critics now proclaim audiences have known ever since they heard Eyes of a Cloud Catcher on the radio 3 years ago. Before it was even released, the band played this song at their first Iceland Airwaves in 2008, staring out in disbelief at a sea of swaying hands as the entire audience sang the chorus back to them, a cappella. That tribute of affection, now a ritual at every performance, caused a blogger at Airwaves 2010 to write:
"Seriously, this band is so impressive and the way the entire room sings along to their stunning Eyes Of A Cloud Catcher is a moment that'll live long in the memory of all here." (Kerrang blog, Airwaves 2010)
Agent Fresco are:
Arnór Dan Arnarson: vocals
Hrafnkell Örn Guðjónsson: drums / percussion
Vignir Rafn Hilmarsson: bass / upright bass
Þórarinn Guðnason: guitar / piano / programming
Official Website: www.agentfresco.is
Howls
Agent Fresco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sundering the face of cadence
Impatient
to find the place where I was found
No longer skin to dull the pain
Adrenaline reclaiming aging sirens
Still I remember howls of youth
How pasture gleamed with pearls of dew
When everything was vibrant
When life would run with lawless legs to race the sun
Let's escape
I've escaped
Sundering with waves of violence
Defiant
Now I'm in place and I am found
No longer skin to dull the pain
Adrenaline reclaiming aging sirens
I remember
Still I remember howls of youth
How pasture gleamed with pearls of dew
When everything was vibrant
When life would run with lawless legs to race the sun
Let's escape
I remember
Still I remember howls of youth
How pasture gleamed with pearls of dew
In "Howls," Agent Fresco sings about a longing for the past, specifically the feeling of youth and freedom. The opening lines, "I've escaped / Sundering the face of cadence / Impatient / to find the place where I was found," suggest a desire to break free from the monotony and constraints of everyday life to rediscover something lost.
The lyrics "No longer skin to dull the pain / Adrenaline reclaiming aging sirens" seem to acknowledge the physical toll that time takes on the body, but also the ability to still feel vibrant and alive through the rush of adrenaline. The chorus repeats the memories of the past, "howls of youth" and the "pearls of dew" that used to adorn the green meadows. This nostalgic reminiscing seems to be a source of comfort as the singer sings, "Let's escape" in the chorus, perhaps indicating a desire to create new memories and experiences.
The lines "Sundering with waves of violence / Defiant / Now I'm in place and I am found" suggest that there was some struggle and rebellion involved in this escape, perhaps indicating a need to break free from external pressures and expectations. Ultimately, the song seems to be about the importance of holding onto moments of freedom and joy, even as time marches on and life becomes more complex.
Line by Line Meaning
I've escaped
I have broken free from something and moved away from it.
Sundering the face of cadence
I have turned away from the rhythm and routine of life.
Impatient
I am eager to find what I am looking for.
to find the place where I was found
I am searching for the place where I felt most like myself.
No longer skin to dull the pain
I have shed whatever was numbing my emotions.
Adrenaline reclaiming aging sirens
I am re-energized and reinvigorated.
I remember
I have vivid memories of my past.
Still I remember howls of youth
I can clearly recall the uninhibited joy of my younger self.
How pasture gleamed with pearls of dew
I remember the beauty of nature and how it felt magical to me.
When everything was vibrant
Back then, life seemed full of possibilities.
When life would run with lawless legs to race the sun
There were no rules, and everything felt like a wild adventure.
Let's escape
Let's break free from the restrictions of the present and go back to that carefree past.
Sundering with waves of violence
I am tearing apart the current state of things with intense force.
Defiant
I am boldly standing up against something.
Now I'm in place and I am found
I have finally arrived at my destination and feel at home.
Contributed by Kayla G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Arkane
I love the intermittent cuts to the studio, with Arnór Dan and everybody laughing and smiling - it just says something to me about how we aren't meant to live alone. When people come together - all of Agent Fresco, the orchestra, the engineers & the audience - they create something so profoundly beautiful and boundless that a single person can't hold a flame to.
Thank you for the beautiful music, Agent Fresco!
Midare13
Yup, I lost counts of how many times I've listened to Destrier already and it's official, I'm absolutely in love with Arnór's voice
Gemma Cabasés Perales
Midare13 yeah, me too
Sandie
+Midare13 happened the same to me. No regrets <3
Ghost Iris
AGENT FRESCO. The most ORIGINAL, engaging and emotional band. Shivers in this song!
GHOST IRIS approves <3 (not that it matters).
adxbbr
and Coheed and Cambria too. Don't forget them
Ghost Iris
@DeekayGer Amazing that you like the music of such different artists. <3
SamanInTheMachine
Tool / A Perfect Circle / Puscifer
these are also recommended.
Ghost Iris
Leprous are pretty damn good too.
Pedro Baptista
You should try Soen as well, if you don't know them ;)