Chuck Howard's Album Reviews
I discovered this album and Sigur Ros while listening to new releases on listening stations at Tower Records back in '99. There has never been an album before or since that hooked me as quickly as this one did. I bought the CD immediately and couldn't stop listening to it.
This album is perfect from beginning to end. The complete work tells an intricate story even though most of the lyrics are gibberish. Jonsi, the lead vocalist, sings most songs in a language he invented called Hopelandic - derived from Icelandic. The combination of Jonsi's falsetto voice with the reverbed instrumentation, monstrous rhythm section, and thick string arrangements results in a landscape of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic bliss.
There's an overwhelming haunting beauty here. The opening track sets the album up in the same way a sunrise sets up the morning. It wasn't until I heard the second track, Svefn-g-englar, when I realized I was listening to something special. I'd never heard anything like it. The sound of Jonsi's lush, distorted guitar sound against the droning, dragging rhythm section was all I needed to hear to be convinced I needed this album. The album becomes increasingly immersive as you continue through the tracks.
Staralfur, with its string arrangements, 808 sounding bass drum hits, and gorgeous melodies gives me chills every time.
Jonsi's reverbed guitar makes its return in a big way on Flugufrelsarinn, which is the album's most melancholy work. Jonsi's voice is more clear on this track than on any other track on the album by forgoing the higher register falsetto heard on most of the other tracks. There's a subtle anger to his delivery on this one.
Ny batteri is the loudest, fastest tempo track on the album with its erratic horn arrangement, driving rhythm section, and reverbed guitars.
Though the intro of Hjarao hamast deviates wildly from the album's style with the Wurlitzer part accompanied by a harmonica, the track quickly morphs into the same lush sound heard on the rest of the album. The anger heard in Jonsi's voice on Flugufrelsarinn returns here. The strings make their return as well. The soundscapes and synth work is otherworldly here as well.
The bass and piano interplay on Viorar vel til loftarasa is gorgeous. The way the song opens up at the 8 min mark is one of the greatest moments on the album. The destruction of the song during the outro reminds me of A Day In the Life by The Beatles.
Olsen Olsen was my favorite track on the album for the longest time. It's still one of my favorites. I imagine most that love this album agree.
Though the track where the album gets its name is the second to last track, it has the feel of an album's closing track. The instrumentation's dryness is a stark difference from the reverb heard throughout the rest of the album.
Avalon closes out the album with a pulsating, slightly out-of-tune synth and brass section.
10 out of 10
This album is perfect from beginning to end. The complete work tells an intricate story even though most of the lyrics are gibberish. Jonsi, the lead vocalist, sings most songs in a language he invented called Hopelandic - derived from Icelandic. The combination of Jonsi's falsetto voice with the reverbed instrumentation, monstrous rhythm section, and thick string arrangements results in a landscape of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic bliss.
There's an overwhelming haunting beauty here. The opening track sets the album up in the same way a sunrise sets up the morning. It wasn't until I heard the second track, Svefn-g-englar, when I realized I was listening to something special. I'd never heard anything like it. The sound of Jonsi's lush, distorted guitar sound against the droning, dragging rhythm section was all I needed to hear to be convinced I needed this album. The album becomes increasingly immersive as you continue through the tracks.
Staralfur, with its string arrangements, 808 sounding bass drum hits, and gorgeous melodies gives me chills every time.
Jonsi's reverbed guitar makes its return in a big way on Flugufrelsarinn, which is the album's most melancholy work. Jonsi's voice is more clear on this track than on any other track on the album by forgoing the higher register falsetto heard on most of the other tracks. There's a subtle anger to his delivery on this one.
Ny batteri is the loudest, fastest tempo track on the album with its erratic horn arrangement, driving rhythm section, and reverbed guitars.
Though the intro of Hjarao hamast deviates wildly from the album's style with the Wurlitzer part accompanied by a harmonica, the track quickly morphs into the same lush sound heard on the rest of the album. The anger heard in Jonsi's voice on Flugufrelsarinn returns here. The strings make their return as well. The soundscapes and synth work is otherworldly here as well.
The bass and piano interplay on Viorar vel til loftarasa is gorgeous. The way the song opens up at the 8 min mark is one of the greatest moments on the album. The destruction of the song during the outro reminds me of A Day In the Life by The Beatles.
Olsen Olsen was my favorite track on the album for the longest time. It's still one of my favorites. I imagine most that love this album agree.
Though the track where the album gets its name is the second to last track, it has the feel of an album's closing track. The instrumentation's dryness is a stark difference from the reverb heard throughout the rest of the album.
Avalon closes out the album with a pulsating, slightly out-of-tune synth and brass section.
10 out of 10
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