With its scattered guitar squalls, blood-boiling squeals, and scattershot rhythms, this record may strike casual Sugarcubes/Björk purveyors as practically impenetrable. Indeed, although assembled as a sort of Icelandic indie supergroup, Kukl never made music that could be deemed in any way accessible; on first listen, The Eye is a patently draining affair seemingly devoid of any coherent structure. Repeated spins, however, unearth a highly sophisticated aesthetic that borrows evenly from punk, noisecore, avant garde, and good old-fashioned indie. Although highly discordant and often atonal, it's a curiously engaging record, aided in part by Björk's darkly emotive vocals and the presiding, almost mythical, sense of impending lunacy. It may not be for everyone, but this is gutsy, non-conformist music as authored by one of the most passionate, intense bands in Iceland's esteemed history.
© Mark Pytlik /TiVo