Micheal kindly wrote a review of Sigur Ros' latest release for the site. My own review will be posted soon when i have had time to digest the album but til then, please read on for his musings on "MEÐ SUÐ Í EYRUM VIÐ SPILUM ENDALAUST "
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Solemn, Intense, Unpredictable.
With a degree of anti-climax and counter-anticipation, Sigur-Rós casually released their fifth EP Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust for streaming onto their official website and with music in my ears I listened endlessly. Sigur Rós have, in the past demonstated their unique ability to rise above regular notions of music genres and indeed their fifth album is emblematic of this transcendentalism as they scurrilously venture in and out of the epic songwriting of ágætis byrjun into the progressive production of ( ) and still manage to retain the mainstream buzz of takk…
The Album opens with the quirky and outrageous Gobbledigook and inní mér syngur vitleysingur these 2 tracks bristle of up tempo hippie joviality and are rather indicative of the offering of Hoppípolla from Takk… However Sigur Rós soon strap the reigns upon the album and establish a new tone by góðan daginn and from here we are given the chance to once again revel in the delights of Sigur Rós’ simply masterful control of the art of song writing. The album from this point on marks a return to early Sigur Rós as they throw conventionalism out the window and settle into their more comfortable realm of songwriting taking the listener from the sublime to the epic to the cinematic (especially in ára bátur) and back again in a journey of solemnity, intensity and unpredictability.
If criticism was to be offered to this album at all it would be that it does not push the boundary as far as one would expect Sigur Rós to push it. As a result of this the album is riddled with nuances of takk… and this leaves it rather lethargic in places. At times Jonsí’s vocals are not up to the quality that one would expect and thus in parts left this listener almost willing him on to hit notes that were meant to be there but were not coming across.
However, in light of the overall mastery of the album the above criticisms are dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of it voluminous beauty. The album is a return to a classical, epic Sigur Rós that will please die hard fans, with retention of listenable main stream quality that will please radio producers. It is as eclectic as it is eccentric as happy as it is sad, as epic as it is acoustic. Sigur Rós have tried to play a hard balancing act, it seems they have won.
With a degree of anti-climax and counter-anticipation, Sigur-Rós casually released their fifth EP Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust for streaming onto their official website and with music in my ears I listened endlessly. Sigur Rós have, in the past demonstated their unique ability to rise above regular notions of music genres and indeed their fifth album is emblematic of this transcendentalism as they scurrilously venture in and out of the epic songwriting of ágætis byrjun into the progressive production of ( ) and still manage to retain the mainstream buzz of takk…
The Album opens with the quirky and outrageous Gobbledigook and inní mér syngur vitleysingur these 2 tracks bristle of up tempo hippie joviality and are rather indicative of the offering of Hoppípolla from Takk… However Sigur Rós soon strap the reigns upon the album and establish a new tone by góðan daginn and from here we are given the chance to once again revel in the delights of Sigur Rós’ simply masterful control of the art of song writing. The album from this point on marks a return to early Sigur Rós as they throw conventionalism out the window and settle into their more comfortable realm of songwriting taking the listener from the sublime to the epic to the cinematic (especially in ára bátur) and back again in a journey of solemnity, intensity and unpredictability.
If criticism was to be offered to this album at all it would be that it does not push the boundary as far as one would expect Sigur Rós to push it. As a result of this the album is riddled with nuances of takk… and this leaves it rather lethargic in places. At times Jonsí’s vocals are not up to the quality that one would expect and thus in parts left this listener almost willing him on to hit notes that were meant to be there but were not coming across.
However, in light of the overall mastery of the album the above criticisms are dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of it voluminous beauty. The album is a return to a classical, epic Sigur Rós that will please die hard fans, with retention of listenable main stream quality that will please radio producers. It is as eclectic as it is eccentric as happy as it is sad, as epic as it is acoustic. Sigur Rós have tried to play a hard balancing act, it seems they have won.
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