Music : Agaetis Byrjun

Rating: - Brilliant
Beatiful. Majestic. Awe-inspiring. These are just a few of the words which can be used to describe this LP. This band immerse themselves totally in their surroundings - the beautiful landscapes of Iceland - and use it as their inspiration.

every other review of this album is spot on, so I won't make this any longer than it needs to be. One of the most interesting things that I find when I read other people's reviews is the variation in "favourite" tracks. Svefn-g-englar seems a popular choice, but the beauty of this album is that everyone sees something different in it. I've heard people say that their personal favourites are the title track, Svsfn-g-englar, Olsen Olsen, Ny Batteri... in fact, I've heard different people citing pretty much every track on the album as a highlight (except maybe the intro, for obvious reasons). My personal favourite is Staralfur, with its sweeping strings and haunting acoustic guitar.

In my opinion, the strongest Sigur Ros album - slightly edging out () and Takk...

Incidentally, people who look at my other reviews may notice that there are a great many 4 star ratings but only one 5 star rating - this one. I tend to only review albums that i like, but i try and avoid the two extremes - 1 star or 5 stars. i try to be objective with my reviews, so, believe me, if i think an album is deserving of 5 stars then take it as red that i wholeheartedly think that album is utter brilliance.

Buy it now.

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Rating: - Saga
This is challenging stuff because it makes you wonder why so many emotions are being evoked in your head. this feels different to Tak, deeper and more like storytelling, indeed reminding me of the Scandanavian sagas.

Svern-G-Englar is awesome and anthemic and just sets the scene for all that follows. Olsen Olsen is a favourite with a lovely bass line supporting the ethereal vocals that cant possibly get any higher!

fabulous stuff.

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Rating: - Get it. Your ears deserve it.
For some reason people call this an album. It's really a story, an unpredictable story (for the first time you listen to it anyway) that takes you to a lot of strange and wonderful places. Sigur Ros only properly came into the public eye in the UK when they released Takk..., and if that's the only SR you've heard then Ágætis Byrjun may surprise you. It's as dark compared to Takk as the deep blue of the album cover suggests and singer Jonsi's vocals are nowhere near as falsetto as on Takk. There are two ways to listen to this, either get it on your car's CD player when driving through the Icelandic countryside in winter or just stick it on your headphones whilst lying in bed with the lights off. Apart from Olsen Olsen, all the songs have actual Icelandic lyrics, which the whole of () and a fair bit of Takk do not, but if you don't understand Icelandic you can still make up what it all means as you listen just the same, that's probably the best way.

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Rating: - wow
i bought this before takk, and i think its only just better (theres only a handful of cds that can possibly be better than takk). the jaw dropping feeling of butterflies in my stomach after the bowed guitar 'solos' on svefn g englar and vidrar vel til loftarasa reminded me of falling in love, which is i suppose what happened after listening to this! those tracks are probably the highlights, but each song has its own brilliant moment: the fireworks on staralfur, the laa laa la la chorus on olsen olsen or the hypnotic drums on ny batteri are just fantastic.

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Rating: - Soaring beauty that is just amazing, every time
I have been listening to this album for about 3 years now, and I still can't get enough of it. It has an amazing magical, mystical, floating quality which sends you cruising over deep fjords, icy mountains and eery barren volcanic landscapes. I love the fact that I can't understand what the lyrics are about; you can just let it all wash over you and give it your own meaning, should you choose to. I just found the translations of the lyrics tonight on the net: they are very interesting and poetic. Icelandic (or Hopelandic!) is a beautiful-sounding language, ideal for singing in.