Sigur Rós
In its fifth album, the Icelandic group Sigur Rós has opted for a change in both scenery and musical style.
Sigur Rós
Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalust (With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly)
(XL)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
***
Sigur Rós moves forward both “geographically and musically” on Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalust, said DBC Pierre in the London Observer. Since releasing its first album 10 years ago, the Icelandic post-rock band has built a career around conjuring up god-like soundscapes that echo the bleak landscapes of its homeland. Its music is often beautiful, even “breathtaking,” but can make you “feel that you’re touring the vastness alone, sometimes in winter.” For its fifth album, Sigur Rós opted for a change of scenery, recording in New York, London, and Havana. The result is a “warm journey” that explores uncharted territory. This “much-needed change of direction” brings the band back to earth, said Mark Pytlik in Pitchforkmedia.com. Previous albums took Sigur Rós’ baronial, “cloud-parting” opuses “to heaven-scraping levels of pomp.” Here, the band sounds “looser, almost playful,” as it stays within the strictures of pop music and keeps songs relatively lean. On “Inni mer syngur vitleysingur,” Sigur Rós packs its signature sounds into a “positively economical” four minutes. But the band often falls back into bad habits, said Stephen Dalton in Uncut. “Ara batur,” featuring the London Sinfonietta and London Oratory Boys’ Choir, is more symphony than song. You can’t blame Sigur Rós, however, for “being too beautiful for its own good.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A flooded island, a ballistic missile, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
Who actually needs life insurance?
The Explainer If you have kids or are worried about passing on debt, the added security may be worth it
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Sexual wellness trends to know, from products and therapies to retreats and hotels
The Week Recommends Talking about pleasure and sexual health is becoming less taboo
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published