indy cd & vinyl

Sigur Rós - “Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust”

Iceland’s Sigur Ros has become a band known for epic songs that slowly build and build to dramatic crescendos, conveying an intense drama that is then set off by their singer’s otherworldy falsetto voice and guitar sounds (often produced with a violin bow). While such dynamism is not absent from Med Sut Ieyrunm Spilum Endalaust (translated as “with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly”), on their newest album the band says they were inspired by a series of acoustic concerts they performed across their native country to convey a more natural and “fun” sound in their work. Spending only three months (as opposed to their usual year or more) in the studio, with many songs captured live in one take, the result is Sigur Ros’ most varied work to date, and one that does not at all suffer in comparison to their previous efforts. Opener “Gobbledygook” begins with tribal drumming at a faster pace than any song they have previously recorded, with acoustic guitars strumming mightily and plently of “la la la’s” in the background, to yield what is really a very beautiful, off-kilter pop song. The next tune plays out like an uptempo kids romp, with light keyboards and glockenspiel riding over the top of a marching beat and sweet melodies. The song builds with horns and strings to a glorious climax. The album’s next few compositions largely continue in this uptempo vein, but by track five, “Festival,” the band dials things back down to spare keyboards and ambient guitar washes over a single vocal line. After four minutes, the band begins one of its epic builds to yield another masterpiece, but one which is all about celebration and uplift, leaving behind their usual focus on haunting, wistful emotions. Both in this tune and “Ava Batur,” another 8-plus minute opus (recorded with a 90 piece orchestra and choir in ONE live take), Sigur Ros show they have found a “new” way of building dramatic tension within a song. Before, the band would achieve their crescendos primarily by adding layers upon layers of keyboards and guitars. But on “Med Sut,,,,” the band’s mastery of dynamics is based on continually adding new instruments and voices in a live mix, and simply taking the time-honored path of increasing their volume as the song reaches its climax. While this may sound simple, Sigur Ros has always had few equals in their ability to fashion rock songs that come infused with the dramatic sweep of classical music. Combine this “serious” ability with their new-found commitment to simple joy (also depicted in the cover shot of the band running naked across an open road), and the result is an album unlike any other in their discography, and also unlike any other in modern music. You owe yourself a listen.