MEÐ SUÐ Í EYRUM VIÐ SPILUM ENDALAUST

First collab review...

Sigur Ros, one of the giants of post rock, with more lays on last.fm than any other post rock band, in fact only explosions in the sky come close, with ten million less plays. This group has set the bar for many post rock groups to come, with their enigmatic sound, unique vocals, and ever present atmosphere. Honestly, at first I had trouble believing this music was being made by humans, no joke, I couldn't fathom men being behind the music of ( ), it's just that different, and that's why I love these guys so much.

Some say though, that they have become self indulgent, and now they're just making a complete spectacle out of themselves, and with their newest album, Med Sud, this has given many mainstream critics the leverage to say such things. The vocals are still falsetto, there are still cute little music boxes being played in the background, and hey, there are even naked people on the cover (a discussion I had with my friend itsy). This time the tables have turned a bit though, the songs are shorter, the atmosphere a little less dense, and the use of experimental instrumentation (Jonsi's E-Bow, horn sections) are almost completely put to the side, very very sadly. This album does have some new ideas though, faster tempo's, a more mainstreamy use of drumming and guitar, and a less melancholic way of addressing their songs.

The first half of the album is very different, if you loved ( ), this may scare you. The first two songs, are fast tempo, four on the flour beat songs, with an almost constant use of use of guitar or piano for NON atmosphere purposes, but rather for actual lead uses. When I first heard Gobbledygook I was horrified, I wasn't very impressed, but when I learned it was the intro to the album, I couldn't bare to think about what the rest of the album was going to be like. I was right about one part, a good portion of the album does follow this trend of being upbeat, happy, and non atmosphere, and really, it's not as annoying as you think, true, not what I was looking for, but not disappointed.

Then you go on to what I consider the second half of the album, staring with the first lengthy song, Festival. This song is what a lot of hardcore Sigur ros may call a return to grace, the first four minutes just atmospheric keyboards, and Jonsi's sweet voice sifting through so melancholically, the second four, an electric guitar slowly riffing towards a massive climax, that isn't matched until the a couple songs later in the equally epic Ara Batur. It's the last four songs though that really get me, slow moody song, with very little than vocals, and keys gently ebbing and flowing through your ears, putting you in to a cold, yet comforting state of mind, until All alright ends, and the music stops, and you sit there aching for more. Gorgeous.

One of sigur ros' best fifteen minutes belong to the end of this album, but really the album doesnt flow like it should. The album suffers from the same flaws as Agaetis Byrjurn, it is an album for songs, not an album for an album. Therefore the first half doesnt satisfy like it should, and leaves you a bit cold. Other than that, the first couple of songs can get a little annoying, but I completely understand if any longtime sigur ros fan is absolutely appalled by it, but you have to understand, if a band wants to move on, you are powerless to say otherwise, except to write a negative review. The album is good, but just doesn't live up to the standards of ( ), simple as that. 4 stars

Sigur Rós had me concerned: their new album had a title I could nowhere near pronounce correctly and cover art featuring naked people, not to mention a music video for the album's first single that was rife with nudity. As an American, I am supposed to frown upon that, and since I am a shameless patriot, I frowned upon it. As a fan of music and art, I was able to approach this with a more open mind, however, and I quickly realized that the art was undeniably fitting for the release. Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust continues the band's evolution toward a more organic and poppy sound. Much like the folks on the cover, the band's sound is stripped down. It is largely acoustic-based, hardly featuring any of the rich layers of sound the band has been known and loved for. It is also noteworthy that this album features 11 tracks and clocks in at a mere 55 minutes.

All of these elements might invoke worry in fans, but one listen through "Gobbledigook," and I think we can agree that the band made it work. The aforementioned is a rompin'-stompin' 3 minute tune with hooks galore unlike anything the band has done before. Who knew that Sigur could function so well at such a high tempo? The opener and pilot single easily finds a spot among the band's best tracks, and it is certainly the most fun. Before you have time to verify the reality of what you just heard, the boys throw another funfest at you with "Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur." We're just having so much fun right now! In fact, we may be having too much fun. Hence, "Góðan Daginn" sitting at track three brings things back down into more familiar territory, but it conforms to the new sound very nicely. We hear some of that reverb & delay heavy electric guitar in the back of the mix, but the band makes sure to stress the acoustic instrumentation over everything else. The band brings the tempo back up for the half-title track, "Við Spilum Endalaust." A little less energetic maybe, but nevertheless a very fun tune continuing a fresh, fun and flawless album.

But the unthinkable happens: the thinkable happens. Yes, the band looks back at track five to their past glory and tries to render a new version of their old style. "Festival," beautiful as it may be, is a slow, drawn out harkening of the minimalist epic music they are known for. Considering the name of this song, both invoking thoughts of happiness & good times and starting with the letter 'f,' you would think it wouldn't negate the three f's from earler: fresh, fun and flawless. But alas, it does. I'm ok with them hinting at their signature sound, but the song definitely did not need to be over 9 minutes long. The album was working out nicely as an immediate, direct and well-paced record and from track 5 on the band starts to lose a lot of steam. Despite continuing to have great melodies & emotion and good application of the organic sound, even using a huge orchestra and boys choir on "Ára Bátur," the album proves to be ill-paced in the second half. The band put a bunch of energy into the beginning and left us for a completely downtempo second half. They could have thrown another funfest or relatively uptempo song somewhere around track 8 or 9. What's also pretty humorous is that the band was all excited for their first song in English, which is the closer "All Alright," but you can still hardly decipher any of the words. You'll also develop a rule of thumb about this record, where the harder it is to pronounce the song title or the funner the name is to pronounce, the better the song is.

In conclusion, forward-thinking fans will appreciate the new sound, where melodic instruments are used for actual leads & melodies, tempos above 100 BPMs are explored more often than ever, the mood is actually cheery, and atmospheres, while still being strong, are very organic. The melodies are really strong throughout and "Gobbledigook" practically makes the album worth buying buy itself. The song is simply so fun and so short that I must repeat it at least once every time I put the album on. I never thought I would be able to do that with a Sigur song. Please, at the very least try not to strip and go running around enjoying nature like the band may influence you to do. If the temptation is too hard to resist (can't say I blame you), I would recommend you do it in Iceland; there are a lot of gorgeous sights, there aren't too many people around, and those people probably won't think you're crazy or depraved. Also, if you go, remember to wear shoes like the people on the cover. You will destory your feet otherwise. You might argue that you can develop calluses, but who wants to see or touch your dirty, callused feet? That's just gross.

There's a frightening tendency this year I've noticed, for good bands releasing average albums, often with free download/free streaming proposal. OK, GREGOR SAMSA was a noticeable exception from the 'rule', but the more free music was coming my way, the less captivating it was...and is. 'Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust' is another example of Post-Rock band making a song-oriented Indie-Rock album. Seriously, I'd love it, if they preserved that positive mood set by first tracks up to the end; I'd be the first to claim that SIGUR ROS have overgrown their ambitions to create simple enjoyable songy album. But no, they've thrown 'Festival' and 'Ara Batur', purely predictable orchestrated 'big things', then some filler...and this closing 'English' song is a throw-away stuff really. Actually, I really liked only one track, the almost-namesake 'Við Spilum Endalaust', enlightened march of Icelandic gnomes, if you wish, I couldn't but throw this journalist cliche here))) On the other side, this is where free pre-order streaming works for listener: once you've heard what you are proposed to buy, it's up to you what to do. Holding fingers crossed for future releases by SR and going to re-check 'Heima' right now. Cheers

As much as I appreciate Sigur Rós for enrichening my life, their apparent unwillingness to step out of their - undoubtedly - very comfortable zone is becoming a tad tiresome.

Upon first hearing the album, I was positively dazzled by Gobbledigook's quirky, slightly Animal Collective-esque rhythms and vocals. This was something entirely new for the icy chaps. A decidedly accessible pop song with clever structure. While fans of traditional Sigur Rós might be put off by its lack of overt sentimentalism, I maintain that it is their best work since Ágætis byrjun. Sadly, it's all downhill from there. Inní mér syngur vitleysingur stays within the pop-mold with good results - gone is the element of surprise though, we're back to more familiar soundscapes. What we do have, is a cheerful, well-written SR song, somewhat akin to Hoppípolla from Takk...

After that, it seems their will to experiment vanished, and they happily tread the oh-so-familiar grounds for the rest of the album. Slow, ambient-esque ballads with Jonsi's sleepy vocals, beautifully arranged strings & horns, some tasteful piano-pickings here and there - you know the drill... While there might not be anything particularly terrible about that (Sigur Rós certainly know their craft, the compositions are generally of acceptable quality) I have this weird tingling on my back that something is off here. For the first time in their respectable career, they sound just a 'tiny' bit insincere, in my opinion. The compositions are all a bit too obvious, designed to make you wallow in your misery. They only use chords they know to be effective - you'd be hard-pressed to find anything that doesn't fit into this equation.

Admittedly, when under right circumstances, they can be ridiculously soothing. Yet, most of the time I'm left cold, wondering where the passion went, wondering why Sigur Rós have opted to take the safe path home, reducing Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust to a vaguely pleasant nostalgia trip.

Well, from the moment you put this disc into your laser machine, the shock is almost instant, especially if you are familiar with preceding SR albums. Has SR gone mad and go indie pop/rock, are they angry so many indie pop group invading the post rock land that they want to counter-attack by doing the reverse???? Cos, this is surely a departure from previous albums, but looking back at my reviews of these, I was sorta asking for changes, so now that I've got them, I shouldn't complain! But I am complaining, anyway!!! Changing doesn't necessarily mean moving in the wrong direction. Not that wanting to sound like Radiohead is necessarily going in the wrong direction either, but we were used to the opposite, Radiohead trying to sound like Sigur Ros, but this time the step is made by our Icelandic posties, so we're wondering what's the next step, now.. RadioRos or SigurHead????

Rest assured, the noisy alternative rock/pop last only three or four songs as Ros seems to return to calmer pastures (the ones they running naked on >> WTF!! Why is the only female arse the furthest away on that pic?), but keep that eerie plaintive RadioRos vocals, while the music is definitely more SugurHead. The strings are again often much too loud and provide that extra layer of cheese that transforms the album into the usual semi-sufferable post rock that feels soooooooo good once you've stopped it by popping out the disc out of your deck. If you liked previous efforts, no doubt that past the "getting used to" phase of the first four tracks, no doubt you'll like this one. I'm still begging for some music change though, but I actually stopped believing it.

It's about time this melancholy Icelandic quartet cheered up, and their 2008 album marks, for the most part, an upbeat change of pace from the awesome dirge rock of earlier efforts.

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.

"Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust" is the 5th (excluding soundtrack- and remix albums) full-length studio album by Icelandic post rock act Sigur Ros. The album was released through EMI Records in June 2008. It was originally meant to be the first Sigur Ros album with English lyrics, but before the recording of the album, the band changed their minds, and either translated or completely rewrote the lyrics for all tracks featured on the album, except for the closing track "All Alright", which thereby became the first track in Sigur Ros discography to feature English lyrics instead of lyrics in the band´s native language.

Stylistically the music on "Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust" continues the more vers/chorus structured post rock formula occasionally hinted at on "Takk....(2005)" rather than goes back to the more ethereal atmospheric sound of "Ágætis Byrjun (1999)" and "() (2002)". The change in style is rather drastic here though as most tracks on the album are are short and rather formulaic pop/rock songs that are much closer to mainstream radio friendly pop/rock than anything Sigur Ros had released before. This is still unmistakably the sound of Sigur Ros though, just in a more easily accessible version. Although the band´s trademark melancholic atmosphere is still present throughout the album, "Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust" also features a more uplifting spirit, which was a bit unusual for Sigur Ros at this point.

As mentioned most tracks on the album are shorter and more to the point than usual for Sigur Ros, but there are a couple of longer tracks on the album too in the 9:24 minutes long "Festival" and the 8:57 minutes long "Ára Bátur". Both point backwards toward the band´s atmospheric slow building post rock past, and both are among the highlights on the album. I struggle to experience the same enthusiasm when talking about the rest of the material, but it´s not bad by any means. Just a bit simple and formulaic compared to their more intriguing preceeding releases.

The musicianship are as always of high class. The instrumentation is more ordinary compared to the almost otherworldly sounds of the past, and the same can be said about Jónsi Birgission´s vocal delivery. He has opted for a more mid range singing style here and seldom reach the extremely high notes, that he is usually known for. The sound production is professional and well sounding, suiting the music well. I probably sound a bit disappointed and that´s not completely untrue, but when all is said and done, "Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust" is still a pretty strong release by Sigur Ros and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

My first experience hearing these guys was with Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust, so perhaps had I already been a fan prior to this release, and become used to what they had been doing up until this point, this album may not have been as dazzling to me. However, not knowing at all what to expect, I played this album for the first time and immediately fell in love with Sigur Ros. This is truly gorgeous music!

Right fro, the start, this album made my heart soar with the song ''Gobbledigook'', and it only continued from there. Sounds of violins, various wind instruments and light, musical keyboards all enveloping some of the most deceptively-simple acoustic guitar work I've heard in ages carry throughout this entire work, and the vocals are soft, delicate and caressing. Just wonderful. I think the track entitled ''Festival'' in particular hit me dead in the heart. The bare a cappella vocals form the first half, then the plethora of instruments take on the role of the second half, weaving in and out of each other with accuracy and grace, giving way for the lovely melody. That song is actually the longest track on the record, but it goes by so quickly for me.

All of the content on Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust is placid, soft and melancholy, but with a strong sense of hopefulness that ends up being quite uplifting to hear. Now, I'm sure it could be argued that not enough is going on here musically, and I myself have complained in the past when I feel like bands are intentionally stretching out their albums' runtime with filler, but in the case of Sigure Ros and this album, I feel like it's all fitting. It's meant to be simple, this album, and it is always a treat for me to return to. Layers play the most prominent role here rather than technical skill, and it makes for a calm, easy listen that still manages to hold a lot of punch behind the initial first impression.

I think if you go into this record without any previous expectations of what you want it to be, and instead accept it for what it is, you'll really enjoy it. Not every album you own has to be overly-complex in order for it to be enjoyable. Sometimes it's just fun to sit back, relax and be tucked in tightly by the comforting embrace of an easy-going record. SIgur Ros has done that with this album, but also added plenty of originality to make it a fresher listening adventure than most.

A very high 3.5 stars from me, this album gets.

Happy listening.

Sigur Ros - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust (2008)

This Icelandic post/atmospheric/sentimental-rock outfit has become the main band of the the post-rock genre and for a good reason. Sigur Ros has a natural, honest sound. The band uses intimate arrangements (often with piano, bass, some spacey guitar and drums) played by the band itself. Besides that most compositions feature orchestral arrangements, with an emphasis on the copper section. The high pitched vulnerable vocals of Jónsi Birgission are among the most authentic of our days.

Because of the atmospheric approach on music Sigur Ros belongs here on a site about progressive rock, though I think most of us would like to see some more innovation in the next albums. Which directs us to the main, and when thinking about it, only problem of this 2008 album; the band continues it's course set, emphasized on the melodic song-writing (which moves the music slightly towards pop), but fails to write new material that has that refreshing impact of earlier albums. All songs are typical, which is a bad thing.

Having that said, this is still Sigur Ros prime time. The warm harmonic bathing, the balanced sentiment, the melodies that carry you away - all are presented with much class. The orchestrations are very strong and sound very good, with Ára Bátur being one of the best arranged songs I've ever heard. The sounds just keeps getting more intense and bombastic in the symphonic ending section and I get blown away every time I hear the song.

On other songs the band seems to emphasize on the punchy bass-guitar lines or other pulses. Some rhythmic variety would not have hurt, mainly on the first five songs. Besides the tracks with a pulse there are of course the floating ballads without rhythm section.

Conclusion. Owning this new album on double-vinyl is actually something that really pleases me from time to time. The peacefulness, the sentiment (without that typical English theatrics), the great arrangements, the baths of sounds and those amazing vocals; all are very rewarding. The album also has a reasonable production, though I myself discovered the album sounds much much better if you turn up the treble quite a bit. Now, I think the critics on this album of being non-essential because of the lack of innovation is something to be considered, but in my book this still is an excellent addition to any prog collection. I'm going to push that four star button now.

I will not waste time on this album more than necesary. I just heard it and almost fell asleep. Maybe that's the best thing about it as it lulls you into a dream. The high falsetto wears on your nerves and the overall atmosphere is downbeat and dreary. I wanted it to blow me away but it was just a slight breeze that I felt. It threatened to improve but by the time it did at the end it was all over.

The mediocrity is stunning on this album, it is commercial in places and yet inacccessible in others. It cannot make its mind up what it wants to do and takes detours with some very repetitive meanderings, and at times there is sheer beauty cocooned within the deep textures. For insomniacs there is the last two tracks that require the patience of a saint to sit through though they hypnotised me eventually. I actually enjoyed falling asleep to the last track, it is indeed beautiful and dreamy.

The ambience is intense in places, and has the effect of emptying your head. The Icelandic chill of droning rhythmless amospheres grow tiresome. The lyrics of gobbledigook and nonsense are no longer a drawcard. The drenched sounds bury themselves into the subconscious and at first are intriguing and soon grow tedious to the point of delirium. I listened for a highlight and could not find any among the unpronouncable titles. As soon as the album ended I forget every track instantly as if my mind had been erased. Compare that to the wonderful Agaetis Byrjun album, or the marginally better Takk, and they are at polar opposites. I leave it with you. Perhaps the most underwhelming album I have heard this year. Collectors need only apply.

Bigger than the frozen wastes of Iceland

Sigur Ros are not an easy band to get into. Their soundscapes and bombast often leave more melody and rock oriented music fans out of the loop. They are uncompromising in their style, singing in their native Icelandic (making their song and album titles impossible to remember or pronounce for most of us), and use massive dramatic builds that often takes minutes to finally climax. They have had a string of highly praised albums in the progressive scene and abroad and their live shows are critically acclaimed worldwide.

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is a departure from early albums and a huge change in the direction of their style, somehow still managing to maintain their signature sound and atmosphere. Unlike previous, highly melancholy albums, this one has a definite sense of joy to it. The opening track in particular, Gobbledigook features a soaring melody and vocals that could bring a smile to the most miserable of misers. Inní mér syngur vitleysingur features similar happiness with an almost victorious ring to its wonderful symphonic washes.

There's no song on the album that seems to lag, and the longer tracks on the album take their time once again to go more emotional. Festival in particular is an awe inspiring standout. It is a slow burner that takes its time soothing the audience into a melancholic beauty before building with and every quickening drum and bursting into a full, lush and spine chilling climax at the seven-and-a-half minute mark. It is strikingly beautiful.

Certainly not for the impatient or the cold of heart, Sigur Ros's sixth album is a progressive masterpiece that deserves a listen from anyone who dares. 5 stars for an album that is always able to give me goosebumps and bring a happy tear to my eye.