When Sigur Ros made their auspicious stateside debut in 1999, they were
alternately hailed, winning the first US Short List prize, and panned, the
strange gimmicky Icelandic band that sang in a made-up language and made
concert goers faint. Both critical camps were right. Sigur Rose are weird,
but they're wonderfully, beautifully weird. Their near heart-stopping
slowness can either drive you to dreams, to tears or, for some, straight to
the "off" button. Their emotional vocals are sung in "Hopelandic," a too
earnest name for a made-up language. But it strangely works because the
vocals themselves are as naively emotional as the name, soaring and howling
like a newly unearthed instrument. Is the music accessible? Not always, but
at least they don't fake trying.
Their second US CD—titled ( ) and containing no song titles, sure to
annoy their most ardent critics—is full of the same artistic feats that
surprised so many the first time around. Unfortunately, that's where the
astuteness of those aforementioned naysayers comes in. Even if you didn't
consider Sigur Ros gimmicky on Agaetis Byrjun, once you hear ( ), you'll
realize that their novelty did have a lot to do with their impact. The alien
music was refreshing and sublime; it reached in and took hold of you, and
seemed to span areas of time and space unexplored before. This time, the
songs only glide low rather than soar. The piano and strings may tinkle
prettily, but the sparse arrangements feel icier, must too long and
unwelcoming. The nonlyrics seem a barrier—like an inside joke for art
students—rather than a deftly played instrument.
( ) still has its majestic moments—some arrangements border on magnificent
like track 6—but often, you listen for six or more minutes just to be led
nowhere. Is ( ) worthwhile? To hungry fans, yes. The beauty Sigur Ros offers
can be found nowhere else in current music. But for newcomers, stick to
Agaetis Byrjun. It's just a letdown to realize that the critics I
pooh-poohed before as not being open enough to embrace Sigur Ros' uniqueness
were just a little bit right.
Sigur Ros ( )
