Sigur Ros

The enigma surrounding Sigur Ros starts to unravel itself here with touches of sweet imperfections dotting their otherworldly soundscapes. With less reverb comes lesser restraint as blips of squeaky fretboards, splintered keys and lonesome acoustic plucks help remind us that these guys are indeed residents of planet Earth. Glass-cutting falsetto, majestic brass, heavy-eyed piano and even a London boy's choir keep the grandiosity bubbling until colossal cymbal crashes and victorious drumline beats on "Festival" and "Ara Batur" spill over the band's brew of fragile beauty into epic elation.

Sigur Rós' fifth album is the Icelandic band's most worldly, varied and — considering the
usual ice-floe speed of their rock — impetuous. Co-produced with Flood (Depeche Mode,
U2), the record was made quickly — mostly in New York and London, with a trip to Havana
for some vocals — and it opens with the closest this group will ever come to boogie-woogie:
"Gobbledigook," a cheerful tumble of acoustic guitar and drum-circle percussion... More >