MEÐ SUÐ Í EYRUM VIÐ SPILUM ENDALAUST

Fans can rest assured, however. All the atmospheric musical traits associated with Sigur Ros are still very much evident: the ethereal sing-song vocals; the dense ENO-esque soundscapes; the apocalyptic, near-orchestral crescendos (the two longer tracks on the album, "Festival" and " Ára Bátur", are both classic examples of the band's often grandiose tension-and-release technique).

But here that same patented style shows more joyous abandon than ever before, as illustrated with unexpected candor in the oddball cover photo: this is the sound of Sigur Ros with its Post Rock pants off. The difference is apparent in the simplified instrumentation, featuring more acoustic guitars and unadorned piano, beautifully arranged in the delicate ballads "Illgresi" and "Fljótavík", the latter also including the emblematic Prog Rock sound of a Mellotron.

Elsewhere the near-pop forthrightness of "Gobbledigook" (a song title aptly describing their invented phonetic language of 'Hopelandic') immediately sets the new mood, but don't be alarmed: a Sigur Ros pop tune is still (thankfully) miles away from anything resembling a mainstream Top-40 hit. And long before the album ends the mood will revert (somewhat) to the typically somber Sigur Ros moodscapes of old.

The final track, "All Alright", closes the album with a plaintive melody performed on treated piano and muted horns, sung (a first for this band) in accented English. But here a caveat is required: the vocals are a closely-miked, barely distinguishable whisper, not unlike a Klaus Dinger Krautrock lullaby (compare it to NEU!'s "Lieber Honig", off their 1972 debut album).

I applaud the band's effort to alter their sound without changing their distinctive musical character. This album is another brilliant feather in an already overstuffed hat.

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