Sigur Rós: Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust

By: Dennis Cook

Crazy, stuttering, stumbling rhythms propel Sigur Rós‘ friendliest offering to date. Marching band bass drums, all manner of mallet struck wooden & metal bars, sandy hand percussion, soft shoeing brushes – all accent and fuel their unbridled launch into our arms. Sometimes a touch icy, Sigur Rós is all rising dawn light and tranquil breezes here. “With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly” is the translation of the album’s title, and whether one knows a single Icelandic word or not the feeling is inescapable, players playing with unreserved pleasure, simmering feeling and pouring it into mugs topped with mini-marshmallows. The few English song titles – “All Alright,” “Festival” and “Gobbledigook” – hint at the mood, and with this group mood is everything. One doesn’t take apart compositional structures or parse language with Sigur Rós. One descends into their aural hot tub and soaks, breathing in their steam and letting their minerals work into our skin. Some longtime fans may be a little put off by the directness and smiley nature of this new album but it’s hardly a bad thing to have more brightness beamed onto this dark planet. Truth be told, it does meander and lose steam in the final furlongs but not in a totally unpleasant way. The jaybird naked streakers on the sleeve, running with arms swinging across a highway surrounded by green hills, pretty much tell you where this one is coming from. Sigur Rós have given us the musical equivalent of Lars Von Trier’s The Idiots – happiness tinged with madness, exuberance bursting from their bodies as they sing tiny, fractured symphonies to God.

JamBase | Up Where We Belong
Go See Live Music!