This is the debut EP by Sóley Stefánsdóttir, a 23 year old from Reykjavik, student of composition and member of the Icelandic indie-collective Seabear – it's the debut of a singer and a dreamer: six songs held together by Sóleys piano play and her voice – because every of her compositions come into being while she is singing to the piano. Sóley loves this: by her own account she's actually singing all day long. On »Theater Island« she uses a lot of instruments though: Strings, guitars or just some electronic crackles and noises.
The record opens with »Duttla«, a dotty and strange song, that is followed by the engrossed and nearly impressionistic »Kill The Clown«. From now on the songs become more and more catchy. The title track remains on Seabear's open-hearted indie folk while »Blue Leaves« and »Read Your Book« are touching pop ballads – and the record's final »We Will Put Her In Two Graves« is absolutely disarming in its simplicity. But there's something vague and unreal, that sticks to all of these songs as well. This applies to the lyrics, too: Like Alice, Sóley walks through her very own wonderland, where things happen, that can only occur in the surreal logic of a dream.
