Valtari
No other band creates symphonic textures quite like Sigur Rós. The Icelandic group uses the entire dynamic range to slowly unfurl its best melodic moments. With bandleader Jónsi also pursuing a more song-oriented solo career, Sigur Rós can better focus on creating atmospherics and epic land- and spacescapes that alter a room\'s mood. The band\'s ambience is first-rate and a mystery worth leaving; there\'s no need to pull apart the reasons for why this music works. It simply does. There are traces of conventional songcraft in tunes such as \"Eg Anda,\" \"Ekki Mukk,\" and \"Dauoalogn,\" but the general forces behind the music are notes that linger in space and melt with chords that float between the strings and piano. No cover band could reproduce this music; it\'s a singular achievement that deserves wonder and praise. Others with laptops and effect boards may create their own version of this approach, but it\'s a great thrill to hear it from the source.
The Icelandic post-rock band's longest-gestating LP abandons both the pop leanings of more recent releases and the volcanic dynamics of their earliest material but still sounds like the work of no other group.
After nearly a decade of unhurried, frequently majestic music, Sigur Rós’ 2008 LP Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust found the Icelandic band working in its most traditional and commercial vein to date. Song lengths were primarily under the five-minute mark, and the lead single, “Gobbledigook,” was like a campfire…
Although Valtari has the most in common with Ágætis Byrjun’s follow-up—2002’s incredible (), which features eight pitch…
After taking a long break from recording new material, Sigur Rós' sixth album, Valtari, is a welcome return for the Icelandic soundscape pioneers.
The good news is, with a Sigur Rós album, you know what you're getting into.
Sigur Rós stick to what they do best on their atmospheric sixth album, says <strong>Hermione Hoby</strong>
Valtari proves that Inni was more of an unfortunate blip than the sign of impending stagnation.
There are some lovely moments on these Icelandic rockers' latest, but too much of it is too easy to ignore, writes <strong>Maddy Costa</strong>