An Alright Start Indeed...

Don't be fooled by the intricacy of Sigur Rós' obscenely long new album title, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. Compared to the aural complexity of some of the band's prior albums, this one is all about simplicity. Audiophiles who rejoiced the post-rock production knick-nacks scattered throught Ágætis byrjun and ( ) might be a little disappointed with how much the band really pulled back on this effort. However, despite the countless mispronunciation botches this one will invariably suffer, Með suð... will be on the minds of fans and critics alike for quite some time. Because unlike most of the band's abstract catalog, I can see this one realistically appealing to the mainstream. And although I don't know how to decipher Icelandic just yet, it's pretty apparent that this is a record brimming full of optimism and and celebration. You want hints? Well aside from the happy-go-lucky streakers on the cover, the album's literal English translation ("With a buzz in our ears, we played endlessly"), and some exuberant song titles ("Festival," "All Alright"), just take a listen to the opening strums/happy pounding of the radiant acoustic single, "Gobbledigook." Is this Sigur Rós or giberish-laden Dave Matthews? Well, whatever it is, the party doesn't end after track one. If "Gobbledigook" was part I of the band's first foray into pop, "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" does an excellent job following up. Not only does it manage to retain the clap-along drum beating from "gook," but we are also treated to a horn section (which rocked the MoMA last week, by the way), and an army of violins that make this the least-sounding Sigur Rós song to date. We are given a slow beauty in "Gódan daginn" before the trumpets make their triumphant return in "Vid spilum endalaust." Hell, this song even clocks in a radio-friendly three minutes and thirty-five seconds. Oddly enough, if you dig some good ole fashioned slow-building Rós, "Festival" is the track for you. But don't for a minute think this one has the bombast of the first couple of songs -- it appears as if the boys are getting all ironic on us. But have no fear, the newly maneuvered sound reprises itself on "Med sud í eyrum," lush pop and all. From then on it, it all familiar ethereal territory. And whether or not you've become accustomed to sudden foray into unexpected normalcy, this can either be considered good or bad. Taking a page from every other critic who has compared Sigur Rós to Radiohead, Með suð... is this band's The Bends -- except they've already made their own Kid A and OK Computer. I guess they do things differently in Iceland, which is perfectly fine in my book.

My Rating 8.0/10