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Sigur Rós - ( ) CD (album) cover

( )

Sigur Rós

 

Post Rock/Math rock

3.98 | 391 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

BatBacon
4 stars I can understand how this album has such a low rate, but I don't agree. But then I have a special relation to this album (and all the other Sigur Ros creations) as its been with me a long time now and been there through a lot of tough times in my life. Jonsi´s voice is one of the most comforting voices I know and Kjartan Sveinsson on keyboards is inventing whole worlds with his minimalistic but epic playin. ( ) is a lot slower than all the other records, which says a lot, but also much darker. For a long time this has been my absolute favorite album to put on when going to sleep. For many it may sound as a negative thing, an album that makes you fall asleep, but there comes episodes in life when there is nothing in the whole world you need more!

The interesting thing about ( ) is how it seems to be divided into two parts, where the first part is slow, dreamy and just beautiful with a lot of thought and comfort. The second part is amazingly sad but also very dramatic with songs, slowly building up too dramatic climaxes.

First part opens with the beautiful "Vaka", very calm and simple, a perfect opening track with beautiful vocals and keyboards, setting a nice mood for the whole album. Second song "Fyrsta" is more ambient and strange, but still very comforting. Then comes "Samskeyti", an instrumental song with a beautiful piano track and growing sound of keyboards giving this song a very serene climax. Its hard to explain in words, but it sounds like breathing. Last song of ( )´s first part is "Njósnavélin", a bit more optimistic sounding than the other songs and not as slow ether.

Second part is where people start having problems with ( ), because before you get to know the album all the songs sound pretty much the same. They are all very slow, very dark and very, very sad. Also, if you haven't fallen asleep during the first part of the album, its going to be a bit hard now as this songs is much more dramatic and has drummer Orri Páll Dýrason taking an important and leading role with an explosive way of drumming. To be honest I actually felt this part was boring until I heard some live versions of the songs and also took a walk with the album playing on my iPod. Putting this songs into a new context made me understand them and give them a meaning. All you really have to do is listen a bit more careful than you are used to do with Sigur Rós.

Last song "Popplagið" is probably the highlight of ( ) and a perfect way of ending this album! It starts of with beautiful guitar playing and ambient sounds in the background making this song sound large and, in contrast to the other songs of second part, a bit more pop-ish. The vocals here are probably some of the best Sigur Rós have ever written, its so very easing and melodic. With a bang the song changes mood to something a lot more haunting and a lot more dramatic guitar playing. The vocals transform into stretched out words, almost shouting. Jonsi is master of using his voice as an instrument, and this is one of the best examples. But the thing that´s really driving the song into the climax is Dýrasons fantastic, mindblowing drumming, its almost like he makes his drums cry with the song. A simple key change in the vocals in combination with crashing cymbals and thundering toms, you have a perfect epic. Just listen to the track and tell me that this isn't one of the greatest things ever! My living room is never as silent as after hearing this song.

BatBacon | 4/5 |

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