ALBUM REVIEW: Steinsdotter - Ginnungagap mixtape

The quirky, artistic flair of London Alt-Pop songwriter Steinsdotter has earned her a cult following of fans who love to indulge in the abstract, sultry soundscapes that she creates. When it comes to abstract immersion, her new mixtape 'Ginnungagap' is the perfect offering, full of twisted electronic experimentation, vocal swagger and haunting atmospheres.

Opening track 'Womb' sets the eery tone of the album with delicate piano notes and a scratchy, nervous violin opening that then makes way to an ethereal vocal display that sees Steinsdotter's rich lead vocals matched by soaring backing harmonies that sound like they are being sung in the middle of a gothic church.

Tracks like 'Nightshift' and 'Hand Grenade' really showcases why she has gained such a following. They radiate with the same tempting darkness and sass as Billie Elisih's debut album. The former leads with a vibrant, danceworthy beat and multiple layers of slick, seductive vocal lines that talk about death with a sinister joy. Meanwhile, latter places intimate vocals on top of mysterious electronic textures to create a cinematic yet unsettling atmosphere that sounds like if Lana Del Rey soundtracked a horror film. Both songs add distorted effects to the vocals that constantly remind you of the troubling undertones to Steinsdotter's creation.

The piano-led track 'Air' is another standout on the album and provides a dramatic, theatrical performance that is reminiscent of MARINA and, appropriately for the tracks title, has a floating quality to it. It is as if, at this midpoint on the album, Steinsdotter briefly is in sight of heaven before sinking back down to the depths below for the rest of the record.

The inclusion of a 'Nighshift' remix on the album shows her love for electronic experimentation while the decision to close the record with an eery woodwind instrumental encapsulates the haunting emotive effect Steinsdotter wishes to have on the listener, and she is fully successful in this mission. There's moments of catchy, empowering melody and moments of delicate vulnerability yet the overarching element of the album is the dark, electronic textures that completely consume you.