Me and Iceland used to get on like a house on fire in the world of Eurovision, but lately they've been playing it safe in a way that seems to work but that doesn't spark any greater deal of emotion in me.
Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson - Ég á Líf (Iceland 2013)
This year, Iceland decided to send a clean-cut young man singing a clean-cut ballad and I don't have an awful lot to say about it. But let's focus on the positive parts of it.
It's inoffensive.
That's not really a selling point in my book, I think it is better to make a splash and try to challenge the audience a bit. But nobody can be angry with this song, nobody can hate it. It is too pleasant.
It's in Icelandic.
The most beautiful language of the Nordic countries, it is a relief to hear it again on a eurovision stage for the first time since Paul Oscar's latex fantasies back in 1997.
It is catchy.
Either you want to or not, this song will eat its way into your ear and make a comfortable home for itself somewhere close to your central nervous system. And you will not get rid of it.
On the negative side, I find it a bit too sweet and ingratiating. Also, in the national final Eyþór showed a tendency of over-vocalising his song, just like Ott Lepland did in Baku last year when "Kuula" crumbled from being a personal favourite to a tiresome shoutfest in my ears.
Qualifier:
Who can tell? Iceland are good at narrowly making it across the qualification line. But I would not bet all my money on this particular song making it in this line-up.
My grade: 2/5
