Sigur Rós

Sigur Rós | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 29, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B00006LLNU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (346 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,635 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #52 in Music > New Age

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Are Iceland’s Sigur Rós the saviors of 21st-century rock or true heirs to the silk-robed-and-platform-booted, pompous progressive rock of the '70s? On their third album (first for a major label), they are a little bit of both. The group continues to mix the most interesting aspects of U2 (the anthem), Low (the maximalist slow-mo thing), Radiohead (the utter lack of irony in the quest to make meaningful art for stadium crowds), and My Bloody Valentine (guitar as texture), while not sounding like anyone else on this planet. The average song length on the eight untitled tracks is eight minutes, with cascades of moaning, bowed guitars colliding with low-end keyboards while the lovely, alien-registered vocals of singer Jónsi float on top. Dynamics are employed spectacularly, but half of the album is spooky soundtrack music that never really goes anywhere. However, the actual songs on Two Sausages Kissing (or whatever you want to call it)--the third, sixth, eighth, and especially fourth tracks--are mind-blowers, spectacularly worth the price of admission. If they just stopped trying to reinvent the wheel all the time, Sigur Rós could really be a band for the ages. --Mike McGonigal

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

305 of 312 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Ethereal, Ambient, Winter-Symphony September 14, 2003

By Samhot

Format:Audio CD

Bassist Georg Holm has once said in an interview that Sigur Ros weren't a political band, and didn't necessarily have too much to say, other than the fact that they wanted to communicate emotion (subconscious, unconscious) through their instruments. Perhaps this is why the band chose to leave absolutely no credits or lyrics in the sleeve for ( ) (2002).

You don't necessarily need written lyrics (or titles) for this intense experience. Just close your eyes, slip into this 72-minute slice of nirvana, and follow whatever feeling states draw to the surface as you listen. Like the icy-looking cover art, this music is the equivalent of a Winter night, and the thoughts and emotions that are conjured with it: cold, beautiful, dreamy, poignant, nocturnal, encircling, haunting and soothing. While the music is "cold," it isn't cold in an unemotional sense, as the album features nothing but overflowing emotion. The soundcapes are mellow, lush and elegant, while the instrumentation is generally used in ambient fashion, which allow certain atmospheres to be created more effectively. And added to this, the tracks are mostly extended, so the album is probably not recommended for listeners who want quick blasts of aggression, or who want short, catchy pop tunes.

As far as my personal interpretation of the album, or what it conjures through me? I see it as an album divided into two halves (which can also be equivalent to the two parentheses): The first four tracks comprising the "(" half seem like the equivalent of a lonely Winter night, featuring a long snow-capped landscape, and the stars shining at their brightest above. Winter and snow in general remind me of hope, longing, and the necessity (as opposed to luxury) of love, which are what I'm reminded of when listening to the first four tracks. The music in this half is generally the more lush, elegant, dreamy, nocturnal and mellow. Track 3 happens to be my favorite, as an elegant piano chord is repeated constantly, and used for atmospheric proportions, while the basslines ascend in a particular pattern, and lush orchestration tops it off to create an aura of bliss.

The ")" half features soundscapes that remind me of a misty dawn: a somewhat murky sunrise. While the first half seemed generally more nocturnal, there seems to be a diurnal (morning) presence on the second half: night is calm, day is active. Piano was the dominant instrument in the first half, while the second one hears the guitar dominating. This half tends to get more tense, aggressive and somewhat restless in atmosphere, and also features guitar feedback/distortion not heard in the first. Track 7 sees vocalist Jonsi using a pitch in his voice that was not heard at all in the first half.

This album is so dear to my heart for it's ethereal, calming, encircling, evocative and emotional nature. Atmospheric music for escapism, reading, relaxing, lovemaking and possible other pastimes. For best results, listen at nighttime, turn down all of the lights, and light up a few candles. Remember to relax, close your eyes, and let the music take you where it may. Enjoy.

By the way, here are the supposed songtitles that weren't listed in the sleeve:

1. Vaka
2. Fyrsta
3. Samskeyti
4. Njósnavélin
5. Alafoss
6. E-bow
7. Dauđalagiđ
8. Popplagiđ

74 of 78 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Untitled as the Music Speaks For Itself November 23, 2002

By mark

Format:Audio CD

Following their mind-blowing worldwide juggernaut of a record in Agaetis Byrjun, Iceland's Sigur Ros had really no place to go but down. Their second album gained them worldwide acclaim and this record justly was one of the most anticipated of the whole year. '( ),' their major label debut, against all odds, has possibly matched the brilliance of it's predecessor and has expanded the sound of the band into new, even more interesting territories.

'Agaetis Byrjun' was filled with bombastic string arrangements that soared and gave the songs real huge dimensions. This record is amazingly different, in a kind of way I personally thought Sigur Ros wouldn't venture. They've stripped down their sound, but at the same time drawn it into a tight sound that seems just as natural as their previous airy soundscapes. The new compactness relies on the intense percussion of their drummer and then the songs are built off that extremely strong foundation. All the familiar elements of the band are here, but used in new ways. Jonsi's otherworldly androgynous vocals return as does his "hopelandish" (his own self created language) lyrics, that aren't meant to have any literal meaning, but act as another instrument in the sound. When couple with his guitar playing with a bow, it can't be beat.

The record comes with no real title, just usually referred to by the apostrophe shaped cut outs on the albums slip cover. The songs, averaging about 9 minutes, are also untitled. Critics will like to rag on these as pretensions, but it couldn't be more untrue. Sigur Ros like to create, as they themselves call it, a fully interactive music. The listener is able to free their mind of any kind of pre-conceived concept and create their own meanings and lyrics. In fact, the album booklet consists only of blank pages, meant to be used by the individual to write in their own lyrical, or even visual, interpretations.

A one word title if any would have been most appropriate because the tracks flow so well into each other it's not worth even trying to find where one ends and another begins. The album's contraction is one of the best parts as first half is much warmer and much of it is piano based (tracks 1 &3) and tender feeling (track 4) ; after a short silence separating the halves, the second proves to be menacing with aggressive drum beats (track 6)and even some straightforward guitar work that all climax at the end (track 8). The album at it's most brilliant (tracks 1,4, 6, & 8) is nearly unmatched today and at it's worst (track 5) it's inspirational.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars SIGUR ROS IS NOT PRETENTIOUS, THEY'RE JUST GOOD!!! January 2, 2003

By Joseph H. Dorne

Format:Audio CD

Having listened to this album countless times now, both awake and asleep, I have come to the conclusion that it simply cannot be compared to its predecessor, Agaetis Byrjun. The songs on this album take a less orchestrated, more minimalistic approach, using less of the traditional string section for backup. If you have never listened to this band before, be forewarned that they do not resemble anything even close to conventional music. The songs often go on for upwards of 13 minutes, with a not-so-cut-and-dry song structure. The songs reach from somewhere deep to present a sound that is beautifully textured and ethereal. The first half is like listening to a sunrise, while the second half is like being trapped in an ice storm with no electricity. The relatively simple instrumentation of 4 band members creates a sound that is irresistable and makes its listener happy to be alive. Sure, critics complain about the supposed "pretentiousness" of the band, but I don't consider it pretense at all. OK, so they left the CD booklet blank, left the album without a title, assigned no song titles, and sang in jibberish instead of Icelandic. So what? They are trying to convey the point that the music is all that really matters, and they encourage listeners to pick up a pen and fill in the blank pages with their interpretations of the lyrics. It's entirely listener-involved. Iceland has no problem understanding this; why do we? If you haven't listened to this fantastic band yet, and are looking for music that will truly live up to the word "music", I urge you to pick this or "Agaetis Byrjun" up. Sure, bands like Godspeed You Black Emperor and Silver Mount Zion have made ethereal, atmospheric music before Sigur Ros came around, but who cares? No one pulls it off quite like Sigur Ros, and no one will ever hear of those other bands anyway. Oh, and just for reference, Sigur Ros is pronounced "seer rose."