Music : Agaetis Byrjun

Rating: - Typically Icelandic (whatever that means)
A Bigger soundscape than The God Machine, more ethereal than Spiritualized. This album would probably fail if you could understand what he's singing about, I don't think there are any lyrics that could do the music justice. Flimsy packaging aside, a fantastic album. Still waiting for Iceland to produce anything less than a classic !

---

Rating: - Snow Falling on Spruces
The problem with reviews is that you rant on about how much you love an album, but the sheer detachment of writing, from the actual music is too much of a gulf to entice the would-be-buyer. I've found myself ignoring CDs all over Amazon because of this.

But this really is different. Through the music of Agaetis Byrjun, you picture huge mountains iced and capped with snow. Moonlight glistens everything into a world of cystalline beauty. And there's chaos too. Once you've settled into the drifting beauty of the album, Ny Batteri suddenly explodes into an eruption of drums, the vocals exquisitely raw and yet maintaining a poised level of total - a word this album always addresses - beauty.

I've seen them live in Newport. I won't easily forget shutting my eyes, whilst Svefn-g-Englar vibrated through the air towards me. No lyrics are distinguishable to us English speakers, but still, on track 3, it does sound like he's singing "Blow north, dear." You get to be inventive; even make up your own lyrics! Excitement.

Winter's setting in. It'd make an absolutely class soundtrack for December. Consider it at least.

---

Rating: - A recipe of extreme beauty
Take a darkened room, with the windows open, and if possible an electric storm. Sprinkle in some Echoes and Breathe by Pink Floyd, and then add a full helping of Subterranean Homesick Alien by Radiohead, mix in the voice of angels, then place in your cd player. Lay back, and then absorb the most enchanting, haunting and compelling music interlaced with the most incredible voice you have ever heard, music that you will never encountered before. I had read the reviews, and was slightly sceptic, but gave it a go. I was not disappointed. Who cares about the lyrics, with a voice so beautiful it doesn't matter. I would urge everyone to try this recipe, chilling out was never made so fantastic

---

Rating: - guitars, bass, an icelandic singer and a moog WOW
The first time i heard of sigur ros was when i heard Svefn G Englar on the radio. At first it was hard on the ears, but as time went on, the song grew on me. The unusual sound of the guitar being played with a bow, and the high pitched noise of his voice makes this an unusual combination but not too different from the likes of Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Unhome, or even Mogwai.

If you havnt heard of the Ros before, try to imagine soundtracks to films,(infact they have written two tracks for the film Angels of the universe, bium bium bambalo and danarfregnir og jarrdarfarir) or even orchestral pieces played on guitars. The sound is just amazing.

The arty sound of Sigur Ros has inspired me in many ways, i would recomend this CD to anyone.

---

Rating: - A spiralling soundscape, powerfully emotif. PLAY IT LOUD
I hadn't really heard much Sigur Ros, apart from Svefn-g-englar. But I saw it on the shelves of a high street shop and the cover art says it all, utterly beautiful but at the same time alien and unworldly. Its something about this album that when listened to quietly can calm the soul, but wang it on a big hi fiand slap up the volume and the sheer wall of sound makes your ears wobble with joy! It is ecstatic with building moments, so slow and careful but at the same time chaotic... Maybe this got some reviews from people who don't hold much love for such poetry. I find it hard to beleive that this can't touch 99% of the populaton deeply (my girlfriend is a die hard junglist, who hates everything I own. She was moved to almost tears when I forced her to listen. She also wants to give it *****)