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
Let Them See Us
Agent Fresco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
but our blood and our battles still bind us
Why have you come and why have you brought our uninvited fears?
And I know faith can't help but fall
for our phantoms grow taller behind us
Can't even see the white skin of walls
They're far too many here
When will they leave me in peace?
Nightly hours bemoan, while demons roam inside my home
Nightly hours bemoan, while demons roam inside...
It's every time when I lay to rest
within these waves with a call for surrender
The quiet sun claims no aching steps
They're all still here
Nightly hours bemoan...
Will tomorrow come with no one else, but me?
In this house of drums, they're all I hear and see
Don't let them ring the bell of age for me
Don't let them ring the bell with hearts debris
When the pale appears
their cries are enough to echo nightly skies
erase sunrise and cloud the clear
When the pale appears
their cries are enough to echo nightly skies
erase sunrise and cloud the clear
Nightly hours bemoan, while demons roam inside my home
Nightly hours bemoan...
Will tomorrow come with no one else, but me?
In this house of drums, they're all I hear and see
Don't let them ring the bell of age for me
Don't let them ring the bell with hearts debris
Will tomorrow come with no one else, but me?
In this house of drums, they're all I hear and see
Don't let them ring the bell of age for me
Don't let them ring the bell with hearts debris
Don't let them ring the bell of age for me
Don't let them ring the bell with hearts debris
The lyrics of Agent Fresco's song Let Them See Us seem to be centered around the theme of fear and the struggles of trying to overcome it. The singer speaks to an unknown group of people, stating that although he may not know them all personally, they are still bound together by their battles or struggles in life. Yet, the presence of uninvited fears threatens to divide them. The singer acknowledges that faith, too, can fall in the face of these fears, as they seem to grow taller and stronger behind them. The walls that should provide a sense of protection seem almost invisible, and the fears are far too many. The singer questions when he will finally have peace from these fears.
The chorus explains the weight of the fears on the singer's life. The demons within his mind seem to only become louder as nighttime approaches. The fear is so strong that it has invaded his home, and the only sounds he hears are the bemoaning of the nightly hours and the echoing cries of his fears.
The second verse touches on the idea that the fear is almost suffocating. The singer feels as though he is alone and trapped within the confines of his own mind or space. The drums referenced within the lyrics could represent the intense beat of his heart, constantly reminding him of his fear. The singer pleads for the fear to not ring the bell of age for him, perhaps referencing the fear controlling or limiting his aging process, and to not let it fill his heart with debris.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know if I know you all
I'm not certain if we are familiar to each other
but our blood and our battles still bind us
Our shared experiences and struggles continue to connect us
Why have you come and why have you brought our uninvited fears?
What is the reason behind your presence and why have you brought unwanted anxieties?
And I know faith can't help but fall
I understand that belief can falter
for our phantoms grow taller behind us
Our past traumas can become overwhelming
Can't even see the white skin of walls
The negative emotions are so intense that they obscure even the simplest things
They're far too many here
The issue is too widespread and widespread than I can handle
When will they leave me in peace?
When will I finally be free from these difficulties?
Nightly hours bemoan, while demons roam inside my home
During the night, I struggle with negative thoughts and feelings that seem to take over
It's every time when I lay to rest
Whenever I try to relax and sleep
within these waves with a call for surrender
In the midst of overwhelming emotions and a desire to give up
The quiet sun claims no aching steps
The morning and the start of a new day bring no relief from the pain
They're all still here
The difficulties persist
Will tomorrow come with no one else, but me?
Will I face another day alone?
In this house of drums, they're all I hear and see
The constant struggles are all-consuming and dominate my thoughts and actions
Don't let them ring the bell of age for me
Don't let the difficulties and pain of life wear me down to the point of giving up
Don't let them ring the bell with hearts debris
Don't let the negative emotions and experiences of the past cloud my present and future
When the pale appears
When the darkness and negativity seem to take over
their cries are enough to echo nightly skies
The impact of the struggles and pain can be felt by others
erase sunrise and cloud the clear
The joy and beauty of life are obscured by the difficulties
Will tomorrow come with no one else, but me?
Will I face another day without help or support?
In this house of drums, they're all I hear and see
The constant struggles are too loud and too present to ignore
Don't let them ring the bell of age for me
Don't let the difficulties and pain of life wear me down to the point of giving up
Don't let them ring the bell with hearts debris
Don't let the negative emotions and experiences of the past cloud my present and future
Don't let them ring the bell of age for me
Don't let the difficulties and pain of life wear me down to the point of giving up
Don't let them ring the bell with hearts debris
Don't let the negative emotions and experiences of the past cloud my present and future
Contributed by Grayson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Silvain1
The lyrics are so poetic
@Nirvascha
At the beginning i thought my headphones are broken lol
@mankasamo3414
Love from a forgotten nation.
@AliothSenator
3:10-3:45
Magic.
@blackscreen2319
The transition to dark waters is the best part
@syrityflo5130
@@blackscreen2319 YESS! Wish the ending (before the last 3 secs) of this song was extended or was extended in the intro of Dark Water.