IвЂ™m a stone cold sucker for songs like that. ItвЂ™s slow and heavy and still manages to fly by. вЂњSvefn-g-englarвЂќ sounds uncannily like a post-rock song as far as tempo and arrangement, which I wasnвЂ™t expecting at all. The record is icy and immense, yet serene.ДЇrom the start you know youвЂ™re in for a grand - if slow - ride. Hailing from Iceland, there is fittingly something quite glacial about it. ГЃgГ¦tis byrjun is apparently a critical darling, and itвЂ™s obvious why. IвЂ™d heard bits and pieces, but this was the first time I sat down and listened to a whole release of theirs all the way through. Sigur RГіs are one of those groups that seems to have been around forever. Layers upon layers of sensuous strings, steady soundscapes, and ghostly vocals combine to create an record that is impressive, yet frustratingly fatiguing. However, IвЂ™d argue 70 minutes of lush ambient art-rock does actually get tiring when it lacks variety. Not to be too scathing on a record that won the hearts of so many of its listeners in the early 2000s, and besides, itвЂ™s reassuring that there are people willing to listen to such a lingering amount of sweeping sounds. Meanwhile, вЂњVidrar vel til loftarasaвЂќ sits at 10 minutes long, for reasons that escape me. вЂњHjartaГ° hamast (bamm bamm bamm)вЂќ is another anomaly in that sense, progressing naturally towards a groove that evokes peak вЂ™90s Spiritualized. One of the reasons why вЂњStarГЎlfurвЂќ is one of the more memorable cuts on the record is because itвЂ™s far more immediate than the rest. ThereвЂ™s no doubting the sublime execution. If Sigur RГіs lack anything, itвЂ™s the contrast in moods and tones. Their ability to conjure up beauty in minor details is what sets the band apart from their peers. Sigur RГіs are known - and loved - for their expansive sound. Sometimes it works beautifully, other times itвЂ™s really quite draining. Sigur RГіs are prone to prolonging sustained notes and drifting strings to excessive length. The opening buildup on вЂњNy batteriвЂќ is excessive to say the least, and itвЂ™s hardly the only case in point. IвЂ™m a patient listener, but the album occasionally tests me. However, I question whether the songs themselves live up to such an overwhelming atmosphere. ГЃgГ¦tis byrjun is surrounded by a mystical, ethereal aura that stimulates the senses and triggers intense emotion. Whether Sigur RГіs lived up to that initial promise is an intriguing debate, but IвЂ™m not so sure the blueprint was all too hot to begin with. Sigur RГіs were, at a point, one of the most crucial bands at the beginning of the 21st century. By this point of course, fans were already sharing ГЃgГ¦tis byrjun on message boards - such was the time - but it was clear that something special was brewing.

Once it landed on UK and US territory in the very early 2000вЂ™s, critics were keen to praise in emphatic and dramatic fashion. The release of Sigur RГіsвЂ™ sophomore album caused quite a stir in the alternative and experimental music scene, some 20 years ago.

Sigur ros ГЎgГ¦tis byrjun