"Everything sank in you.
Like the ocean swallows bodies, I can't tell if you're in there, somewhere.
I can't tell if you're there."
This writer had the absolute luck and good fortune to discover Highasakite completely by chance. I had attended Iceland's Of Monsters And Men concert at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut back on one cool fall evening with my daughter in 2015 even kicking off the night with a deliciously prepared steak.
Highasakite was the opening act. Like the Icelandic band, Norway's Highasakite was something of a revelation to me upon first listen. The music spoke to me. The voice of lead singer Ingrid Helene Havik was stunning, rich, milky, powerful and overall a tsunami to these ears. She was moving to me in the same way Nanna Brydnis Hilmarsdottir of Of Monsters And Men touched me as a vocalist.
I sometimes wonder if I had not attended that concert if I ever would have discovered that band. They are hardly mainstream and virtually unknown to American listeners despite reaching our shores.
Ultimately this listener is hard pressed to pick any one song by Highasakite to be discussed on The Pop Song. And this won't be the last by the band to be highlighted here, but Everything Sank In You is a luscious, gorgeous example of Havik's vocal skill and poetic musings. She is a deft purveyor of cerebral pop and puts to shame the female pop often associated with the mainstream. Ladies you know who you are. It's almost criminal she's not among the very best. Perhaps there is an intellectual appeal here that is missed by the average listener more than satisfied with the throwaway garbage making top tens each week. I know, tell you how I really feel right?
Everything Sank In You turned up as a bonus track on the band's second recording Silent Treatment (2014), but was originally recorded for their debut recording All That Floats Will Rain (2012). The formerly evasive latter production, thanks to the act's growing appeal worldwide, has since been remedied and reissued and includes a number of previously unavailable tracks that did not make the group's In And Out Of Weeks Ep.
The group's debut recording is spellbinding on so many levels. The band's music is multi-layered and interesting in complexity. You'll find so much about their first two recordings to really dig into and their third release Camp Echo (2016) is no slouch.
Havik first appeared in a one off recording, a self-titled production (2011), under the band moniker Your Headlights Are On. Havik slipped by and surprised us with an intriguing and beautiful solo effort called Babylove (2013) as well.
The songwriter/vocalist Havik has remained prolific with no signs of strain to quality. When it comes to creativity this is one artist and one band clearly high as a kite with nothing to stop them from reaching further into the sky and to the stars on sheer talent alone.
To this day I'm really pleased I saw that concert for both bands.
All That Floats Will Rain (2012): A-. A strong debut collection of fantastic material that followed a wonderful recording by the band Your Headlights Are On and preceded a gem of a solo effort by Havik. This is a ten song collection to quickly get high on in any sophisticated pop collection.
Everything Sank In You. A. Track 9 is a lovely selection on a delicious effort that really showcases the talent of Havik. A delight of an example on what you will find on any of their efforts each rewarding depth with repeated listening.
