Afterglow is the third studio album by Icelandic singer-songwriter
Ásgeir, released on 5 May 2017 through
One Little Indian Records. It received mixed reviews from critics and charted across Europe, as well as reaching number 22 in Australia.
Afterglow received a score of 58 out of 100 on review aggregator
Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reception.[1]Clash's Josh Gray commented that "Ásgeir's music is far too complex and interesting to start writing off as advert fodder. There's a depth to his work that deserves to be burrowed into. Afterglow itself works particularly well as a thoughtful sequel to In the Silence".[2] Helen Clarke of MusicOMH called it "startling for its shift in sound and feel" as it "sounds like
Bon Iver and
Anohni were forced to join
Hot Chip. It feels like a satisfyingly natural progression, but brave all the same".[4]
Under the Radar wrote that "although the melodies have matured, on Afterglow, the 24-year-old gives a poetic, intimate look at the inner workings of his mind, thanks to collaborating with his father, poet Einar Georg Einarsson".[6]Uncut felt that "although at times it can sound a little too carefully planned, there are some wonderful moments",[5] while Mojo stated that "unfortunately, Afterglow further embraces, and is overshadowed by, his influences".[3]
