Astrid Williamson

Here Come the Vikings (One Little Indian)

By Joanna McNaney
Published: June 18th, 2009 | 7:04am

Britain's Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle is not the only Scotswoman who can sing. In fact, Astrid Williamson has been singing and making music for well over a decade. Williamson's fourth album, Here Come the Vikings, is a solid testament to her talent and perseverance, but far from her strongest effort — particularly after her striking 1998 debut, Boy for You and 2008 EP, Shhh...

Here Come the Viking's first two tracks, “Storm” and “Sing the Body Electric,” leave something to be desired lyrically (not to mention, when borrowing a famous line from Walt Whitman, one really needs to step it up). It isn’t until the third track, “Shut Your Mouth,” that the album seems to take off. Along with "How You Take My Breath Away," these two songs are Williamson's most radio-friendly singles on the album and her most popular downloads on iTunes.

Hopefully the popularity of these tracks will not detract from the album’s lesser known highlights, “Crashing Minis” and “Slake,” where Williamson’s wonderful, ethereal sound conjures up flashbacks of vintage Sarah McLachlan and Scottish dream-pop band, Cocteau Twins.

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