Sigur Ros - +Album Reviews

An Ethereal, Ambient, Winter-Symphony

Samhot | Star Land | 09/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bassist Georg Holm has once said in an interview that Sigur Ros weren't a political band, and didn't necessarily have too much to say, other than the fact that they wanted to communicate emotion (subconscious, unconscious) through their instruments. Perhaps this is why the band chose to leave absolutely no credits or lyrics in the sleeve for ( ) (2002).You don't necessarily need written lyrics (or titles) for this intense experience. Just close your eyes, slip into this 72-minute slice of nirvana, and follow whatever feeling states draw to the surface as you listen. Like the icy-looking cover art, this music is the equivalent of a Winter night, and the thoughts and emotions that are conjured with it: cold, beautiful, dreamy, poignant, nocturnal, encircling, haunting and soothing. While the music is "cold," it isn't cold in an unemotional sense, as the album features nothing but overflowing emotion. The soundcapes are mellow, lush and elegant, while the instrumentation is generally used in ambient fashion, which allow certain atmospheres to be created more effectively. And added to this, the tracks are mostly extended, so the album is probably not recommended for listeners who want quick blasts of aggression, or who want short, catchy pop tunes.As far as my personal interpretation of the album, or what it conjures through me? I see it as an album divided into two halves (which can also be equivalent to the two parentheses): The first four tracks comprising the "(" half seem like the equivalent of a lonely Winter night, featuring a long snow-capped landscape, and the stars shining at their brightest above. Winter and snow in general remind me of hope, longing, and the necessity (as opposed to luxury) of love, which are what I'm reminded of when listening to the first four tracks. The music in this half is generally the more lush, elegant, dreamy, nocturnal and mellow. Track 3 happens to be my favorite, as an elegant piano chord is repeated constantly, and used for atmospheric proportions, while the basslines ascend in a particular pattern, and lush orchestration tops it off to create an aura of bliss.The ")" half features soundscapes that remind me of a misty dawn: a somewhat murky sunrise. While the first half seemed generally more nocturnal, there seems to be a diurnal (morning) presence on the second half: night is calm, day is active. Piano was the dominant instrument in the first half, while the second one hears the guitar dominating. This half tends to get more tense, aggressive and somewhat restless in atmosphere, and also features guitar feedback/distortion not heard in the first. Track 7 sees vocalist Jonsi using a pitch in his voice that was not heard at all in the first half. This album is so dear to my heart for it's ethereal, calming, encircling, evocative and emotional nature. Atmospheric music for escapism, reading, relaxing, lovemaking and possible other pastimes. For best results, listen at nighttime, turn down all of the lights, and light up a few candles. Remember to relax, close your eyes, and let the music take you where it may. Enjoy.By the way, here are the supposed songtitles that weren't listed in the sleeve:1. Vaka
2. Fyrsta
3. Samskeyti
4. Njósnavélin
5. Alafoss
6. E-bow
7. Dauðalagið
8. Popplagið"

Untitled as the Music Speaks For Itself

mark | South Dakota | 11/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Following their mind-blowing worldwide juggernaut of a record in Agaetis Byrjun, Iceland's Sigur Ros had really no place to go but down. Their second album gained them worldwide acclaim and this record justly was one of the most anticipated of the whole year. '( ),' their major label debut, against all odds, has possibly matched the brilliance of it's predecessor and has expanded the sound of the band into new, even more interesting territories.'Agaetis Byrjun' was filled with bombastic string arrangements that soared and gave the songs real huge dimensions. This record is amazingly different, in a kind of way I personally thought Sigur Ros wouldn't venture. They've stripped down their sound, but at the same time drawn it into a tight sound that seems just as natural as their previous airy soundscapes. The new compactness relies on the intense percussion of their drummer and then the songs are built off that extremely strong foundation. All the familiar elements of the band are here, but used in new ways. Jonsi's otherworldly androgynous vocals return as does his "hopelandish" (his own self created language) lyrics, that aren't meant to have any literal meaning, but act as another instrument in the sound. When couple with his guitar playing with a bow, it can't be beat. The record comes with no real title, just usually referred to by the apostrophe shaped cut outs on the albums slip cover. The songs, averaging about 9 minutes, are also untitled. Critics will like to rag on these as pretensions, but it couldn't be more untrue. Sigur Ros like to create, as they themselves call it, a fully interactive music. The listener is able to free their mind of any kind of pre-conceived concept and create their own meanings and lyrics. In fact, the album booklet consists only of blank pages, meant to be used by the individual to write in their own lyrical, or even visual, interpretations. A one word title if any would have been most appropriate because the tracks flow so well into each other it's not worth even trying to find where one ends and another begins. The album's contraction is one of the best parts as first half is much warmer and much of it is piano based (tracks 1 &3) and tender feeling (track 4) ; after a short silence separating the halves, the second proves to be menacing with aggressive drum beats (track 6)and even some straightforward guitar work that all climax at the end (track 8). The album at it's most brilliant (tracks 1,4, 6, & 8) is nearly unmatched today and at it's worst (track 5) it's inspirational."

( ..speechless.. )

Matt Burrows | Walker, MI United States | 10/31/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Quiet simply...the album is amazing. I purchased it before a long drive to grad school and it will forever remind me of my dark drive down the highway. There is just something that stays with me after I heard this album for the first time. It's hard to explain, but you'll feel it. The vocals, though free from actual words, allow listeners to create their own meaning--to make them their own (something that is encouraged by the blank pages of the CD booklet). And though I'd like to avoid the cliché, I can't--it reaches out and touches you.Comprised of eight tracks, each of which is untitled, the album is divided into two separate parts. The first four are what I consider to be the "dawn" or "awakening". Their ethereal presence, soft vocals, and dream-like melodies are often so subtle they seem to evaporate into thin air. It is this ability to make memorable music that doesn't stand out which marks the return of ambient music to its rightful place. As Brian Eno first did, Sigur Ros now continues the task of creating music that is heard but not listened to. Quite simply, these first four tracks are the soundtrack for our thoughts when we're not thinking. If the first half of the album is the innocence, the last represents the "dusk" or dark side of our conscious. Though subtle in part, this half of the album carries listeners to the edge of their thoughts with elaborate builds and then, suddenly, sets them free with crashing crescendos, pulsating drums, and guitar work that continues where Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" left off. Not to slight the other members of the band, but it is in this half of the album that Jónsi's haunting vocals truly shine. So angelic yet emotional, his voice, his "words" are universal. All races, religions, and cultures can be and will be touched by this man's outpouring of emotion. And such is the unique beauty of this album. Every bit as good as its predecessor Agaetis Byrjun, this album allows listeners to step out of reality, to step out of the box and into the ( )."

Genius Not Pretentious

S A S ELNASHAI | Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA | 10/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sigur Ros are a blend of sounds the like of which you will not find elsewhere. With a dedicated fan-base as diverse as Radiohead (who cited them as an influence on Kid A) and Cameron Crowe (who included three songs in his movie Vanilla Sky), this could be the album that finally earns them the widespread recognition that they deserve. Their second album Agaetis Byrjun was a monumental epic that created a new sound. This third album consists of studio versions of songs that have been honed over the last two years during live performances. Their previous albums have been in Icelandic; this latest one is in Hopelandic, a made-up quasi-gibberish that allows lead singer Jon thor Birgisson (Jonsi) to project his voice (half-way between choir-boy and Thom Yorke) almost as an instrument. Incidentally, the lack of lyrics allows each listener to conclude what each song means to him personally, and your interpretations can be posted on the web alongside other fans'. The tracks are also untitled, though many of them carry unofficial monikers. With any other band this would be an act of extreme pretence, but as a Sigur Ros fan it is hard to conclude that it could have been done any other way. Even the album itself is untitled, simply named ( ), which can be interpreted as symbolising the two distinct halves that complete the whole, or it could be on a similar theme to the interpretive lyrics, in that you should fill in your own album title. Track 1, sometimes referred to as Vaka, is the one they most commonly kick off their concerts with, and it is an appropriately slow track that utilised a calm piano riff. Track 2, Fyrsta, is again a beautifully-constructed track that is more mournful, almost lethargic. Track 3, Samskeyti, for lack of other words can be described as unbelievably pretty, and uplifting as it combines once again a simple piano riff with strings, in what is an instrumental piece. Track 4, Njósnavélin, is perhaps the most famous song off the new album: it was used in the climactic scene of Vanilla Sky, and was performed on Kilbourn. The first studio version combines all the best aspects of the various forms it has appeared on stage, and adds an accompaniment that at once achieves perfection. Track 4 is followed by a silenec that allows the mood of the album to totally shift. When it restarts with álafoss, it is much more downbeat in tone, but no less masterfully-constructed for it. The songs effortlessly segue into one another as E-Bow and The Death Song go by, as it gears towards the climactic Track 8: Popplagið. Unlike anything else they have ever composed, 'The Pop Song' rocks out with an intensity unlike anything else I have heard. The various elements just come together in perfect unison to achieve a perfect blend of emotion and intensity that leave you reeling as the CD comes to a close. Appropriately, Sigur Ros are in the habit of ending their sets with this track. The final lyrics of Agaetis Byrjun made reference to how this was a Good Beginning (the literal translation of the album title), but that they will do better this time. On this evidence, they keep getting better..."

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	Sigur Ros () Genres: Alternative Rock, Special Interest, Pop, Rock
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