What does JFDR sound like?

The softest caress of Icelandic sentimental beauty.

The review of ‘from figure 8’ by JFDR

JFDR is one of many musical projects for Jófríður Ákadóttir. It is her most intimate, feminine, and delicate of them all, though. This is made all the more intimate when she performs live, and that’s what ‘from figure 8’ captures. This five-track EP is an exercise in restraint and quiet beauty.

I’m not immediately aware of most of the tracks on the EP. Only the opener ‘falls no wonder’ is taken from a JFDR release. It ushers in a soft, hushed, ramshackle percussive shimmer, dreamy pianos, and Jófríður’s exquisite voice. Clean, clear, airy, and overflowing with empathy, JFDR commands the speaker without ever raising her voice. Instead, she pulls you in with her range. From childlike coos to breathy sighs and whispers, the listener feels every word and nuance with her.

This beauty and sensitivity carry across the performance, as the instrumentation shifts. ‘California’ is a saxophone and trombone-structured piece. The breath of the musicians is just as loud as the horns themselves, and again, Ákadóttir refuses to rise to overpower them. ‘Fall’ is a deliciously Autumnal acoustic guitar-led ballad that rolls off the tongue. It’s light, jazzy haze from the brushed percussion and triangles keep a fumbling buzz to the performance. ‘Stillness’ merges the sound of the previous two tracks together to create a natural trilogy. The EP closes with ‘yearn’, which focuses on vocal effect trickery. Between cavernous echoes, weird sounds, and the kind of dewy synths that made JFDR’s 2023 album ‘Museum’ such a hit, the track is an ephemeral gem to close out on.

I hadn’t heard JFDR live before, and after just one listen to this EP, I want to get tickets to her next UK show. I’m reminded heavily of Rebekka Karijord tonally, but JFDR is far softer in musicality. This EP is like a glacial hug, full of the elixir of music. If it’s a glimpse into the next album with all these new (to me) tracks on the record, then the songs are in safe hands, too. Delightful.

Recommended track: fall

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