The lighter side of Egill

   While bereft of the homemade, tinker-happy style that so distinguished his earlier work, Egill’s new album is nonetheless an excellent showcase of the man’s fine pop sensibilities. The improvised fun of Tonk Of The Lawn is nowhere to be seen here, save for some very unwelcome attempts at forcibly recreating it (Bold Hearted Woman, Sleep), but it isn’t really needed. As a relaxed, simple pop album, Egill S is about as solid an offering as they come, and it is a testament to Egill’s effortless creativity and talent that even when he is being as lackadaisical as this, he is still about 83 times more interesting than his Icelandic singer-songwriter contemporaries.