Kaleo - A/B [2LP White]

Kaleo's A/B returns ten years after the Icelandic band's international breakthrough, here as a limited two-LP edition with white vinyl.

Released in 2016 on Elektra, A/B took the group from Iceland to arenas and festival stages around the world. The songs were recorded across a dozen studios stretching from Nashville and London to Reykjavík, with producers including Mike Crossey, Jacquire King and Arnar Guðjónsson, and the album reached number 16 on the Billboard 200 and number two in Canada. Frontman JJ Julius Son wrote most of the songs himself, drawing on American blues, rock and folk traditions.

The title hints at its two personalities. "No Good" opens with stomping, distorted blues rock and a howling vocal from JJ Julius Son, while "Way Down We Go" slows to a smoky, gospel-tinged crawl that became the band's signature. "All the Pretty Girls" shows their tender, falsetto-led side, and "Vor í Vaglaskógi," sung in Icelandic, offers a hushed nod to home. The second record collects rarities and live recordings, including a stripped take on "Way Down We Go."

From swaggering riffs to quiet campfire moments, A/B still captures a young band trying on every coat in the wardrobe. This expanded set is a handsome way to mark a decade with it.