Sigur Rós "Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust"

Music Review: Sigur Rós “Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust”

By Dr. Monkey • July 27, 2008

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Gobbledigook
Inní mér syngur vitleysingu
Góðan daginn
Við spilum endalaust
Festival
Með suð í eyrum
Ára bátur
Íllgresi
Fljótavík
Straumnes
All Alright

Official Bar Score:

Sigur Rós is an Icelandic band started in 1994 who have made a name for themselves creating music that is melodic and blends elements of modern rock music with classical and using near falsetto vocals sang in their native Icelandic tongue. For some this may be a turn off assuming that the majority of the bands American audience more than likely knows little to none about the Icelandic language. However I look at it like an opera, you don’t have to know what is being said to feel the intended emotion of the music, that is if the music is done correctly. Sigur Rós have made a career doing just that.

With their new album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, or “With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly” the band decided to try something new opting to depart slightly from the usual piano and string heavy sound and playing more guitar driven songs, though the strings and keys haven’t been removed completely. For the most part this works, though in some instances the songs come off sounding more pop like than they should, the opening track for example as well as Við spilum endalaust (We Play Endlessly). It’s not that the songs are bad, it’s just they stand out as being very different from the typical material. Speaking of taking a different approach, the final track on the album “All Alright” marks the first time the band has included a song that is entirely in English on one of their albums.

Still all in all the band deliver yet another great album, and one that is already been hailed by some as one of the best rock albums of the year. While I personally still much prefer the songs with more keys and strings the integrity of the band is still upheld with this new disc. I doubt this will be hailed as their greatest effort but it’s music contains more emotion than 90% of the releases shelled out lately.

I’ll be the first to admit that the band is very much an acquired taste, but for those who enjoy classic style music and don’t mind singing that isn’t in English then I highly recommend this disc. Hell if you consider yourself to be open-minded to bands that go outside the box then I’d recommend this disc as well.