Home > Music > CD Review > Sigur Rós, 'með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust'

Sigur Rós, 'með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust'

Icelandic foursome returns with a stellar and more accessible sonic masterpiece

By Michelle Lanz

Special to Metromix
June 23, 2008

Critic's Rating:

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Backstory: Formed in 1994 on the same day lead singer Jón Þór (Jónsi) Birgisson’s sister Sigurrós was born, this foursome has enjoyed critical and steadily growing mainstream success both in their native Iceland and worldwide since their first release “Von” (1997) on Bad Taste, the Icelandic label owned by the now-defunct, Bjork-fronted band the Sugarcubes. With their latest album, the band is following in the footsteps of Radiohead by releasing their album online before it’s available on disc.  

Why you should care: Those who dislike Sigur Rós’ tendency to sink into the mire of new age drone will find solace in album openers, “Gobbledigook” and “Inn í Mér Syngur Vitleysingur.” Heavy on the drums, guitar strumming and plinky xylophone with a steady staccato pace, the strategic placement of these rockers hints to a new (and welcome) direction for the band. The rest of the tracks have markedly mellower beginnings, but crescendo mid-song in typical Sigur Rós fashion. Compared to their previous albums, there are no 10-minute musical benders in sight, but vocalist Jónsi still has plenty of chances to belt out his signature falsetto in typically epic proportions.  

Verdict: When translated into English, the album title means, "With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly"—and after one listen, we wished it would never end. In the past, Sigur Rós may have alienated some fans because of their tendency to be too epic; we’ve been waiting for years for the band to cut out the pomp and look at us eye to eye. It seems as though, with this release, they have regained their footing on planet Earth and delivered an album grounded enough to be completely listenable, but still full of their very original and wholly unmistakable majesty.

X-Factor: Inspired by and in collaboration with photographer Ryan McGinley, the video for “Gobbledigook” features a group of pretty young things running amok and totally nude through a fantastical Icelandic forest. Warning: definitely not suitable for work.

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