Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
1999
Album Summary
Ágætis byrjun (Icelandic: [ˈaːucaitɪs ˈpɪrjʏn], A good beginning) is the second studio album by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, released on 12 June 1999. The album was recorded between the summer of 1998 and the spring of 1999 with producer Ken Thomas. Ágætis byrjun represented a substantial departure from the band's previous album Von, with that album's extended ambient soundscapes replaced by Jónsi Birgisson's cello-bowed guitarwork and orchestration, using a double string octet amongst other chamber elements. Ágætis byrjun became Sigur Rós's breakthrough album, both commercially and critically. It received a 2000 release in the United Kingdom and a 2001 release in the United States. According to their label Smekkleysa, the album sold 10,000 copies on its first year of release in Iceland, earning the band platinum status. It won numerous awards, and has appeared on multiple critics' lists of the best albums of the 2000s. Ágætis byrjun is the band's first album to feature keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson, and their last to feature drummer Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson, who left the band several months after the album was released. Gunnarsson was replaced by Orri Páll Dýrason in the same year.
Wikipediaoh wooooaaaaaaw this is the kind of thing I was hoping to find on this excursion. An unusual and exotic band, something I have never heard before and instantly have a connection with. I really enjoyed this, and can't understand a word he is singing... but somehow I get it. Isn't music just amazing. gibberish out of 5
Ágætis Byrjun is a triumph of engineering and arrangement, but most of all, it's a triumph of imagination. For sure, you can trace Sigur Ros' antecedents in My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai, and other similar post-rock bands, as well as ambient and industrial music, but the widescreen cinematic dreamscapes of Sigur Ros are unique to them. How do they pull it off? It sure isn't the melodies and the harmonies, which are standard issue. It's more the ever so patient accrual of layers of bowed guitar, keyboards, strings and horns, all played legato, and how all of it is recorded through echo and reverb and other production tricks. The breakout track is the title cut Svefn-g-englar, which steadily builds to an epic conclusion slowly dying away. At over ten minutes, it's long for a pop tune, but the running time goes by in a flash because the music lulls you into a trance state. Not all the tunes on Ágætis Byrjun are as timeless and wonderful, but there's plenty to enjoy here. Ágætis Byrjun is an amazing breakthrough which has inspired dozens of bands--the reverberations are still being felt today. 4.5/5
The sound of midnight in the wintertime, being alone without being lonely, a calm darkness with nothing insidious hiding in it. Absolutely marvelous.
Ethereal Millenial Soundscape. Very cool all around, a little hard to listen to all the time. Very, Very good though.
Vous qui fréquentez ce site connaissez très bien mes goûts et ma personnalité. Et je pense qu'aucun d'entre vous n'aurait parié sur le fait que je puisse adorer cet album. C'est pourtant ce qui s'est passé. J'ai néanmoins été déçu d'apprendre que les paroles qu'ils baragouinaient n'étaient en rien de l'Islandais mais bien une langue inventée de toute pièce, ce qui ne m'a pas empêché de relever quelques fautes de grammaire.
Highlights: Starálfur, Flugufrelsarinn, Viðrar vel til loftárása I have no idea what they're saying, or what language (It's Icelandic, in case you were wondering) but it doesn't make any difference because Sigur Rós' moody, atmospheric downtempo transcends language, invoking a sense of wonder and serenity. I can't help but to try and connect with the music...My own interpretation is that Starálfur ("Staring Elf") transports the listener to a celebratory fireworks display so lifelike, you can almost smell the sulfur and feel the night breeze on your cheeks. Flugufrelsarinn ("The Fly's Savior") continues later in the same night, deeper in the dark, at the water's edge. My interpretations don't really matter, though... This is right at home with the likes of Halou, Flunk, Zero 7, and Theivery Corporation, and will be including more in my downtempo playlists.
Coincidentally been listening to this (for the first time) recently. Very chilled and cohesive. Definitely added to my favourites.
https://www.stereogum.com/2047135/sigur-ros-agaetis-byrjun-turns-20/reviews/the-anniversary/
Ágætis byrjun by Sigur Rós (1999) It’s a rare album that can induce tears on a first listen, but this is it. A first person narrative beginning in the womb, a boy anticipates nativity with an awareness of transience, reticence, impatience, and the explosive violence of birth, followed by experiences of the comforting softness in his early sensations. Then, as a toddler, an awakening in his nursery room is marked by the image of an elf running toward him, strangely without getting closer. And in his reflexive effort to check his surroundings, he notices that something is missing—the walls. And we’re only four minutes into the third track. I strongly recommend listening to this album while following an English translation of the lyrics (unless, of course, you know Icelandic!). The dramatic development of the narrative is set to a composition that makes just enough contact with Western traditional music to keep it accessible, with string octet, bowed guitar, and brass ensemble providing the dominant settings. Not without horror, disappointment, and reverie, Sigur Rós walks us toward a celebratory contentment with what God provides. I won’t spoil any more of the experience of a first listen, other than to say that this slow tempo sonic masterpiece will take considerable time to absorb. En það verður ei gott að fórna sér Dagarnir eru langir (But someone has to sacrifice himself The days are long) 5/5
Familiar with a couple of Sigur Rios songs but first time listening to this album, wow, so atmospheric absolutely a masterpiece. Can see me listening to this a lot this year.
Ooh, this was honestly the definition of atmospheric. Made me feel at peace. Singer is brilliant. 4.
This album starts off like a tornado and smacks you in the chops. It’s loud and brash and in your face. It’s thrashy and punky and a little bit screamy. Normally this combination would induce an excited curiosity from myself and these tracks did just that...but that was all. I just can’t find anything worthwhile or standoutish. The songs speed along happily enough, but leave you feeling unsatisfied and with an empty void. 2 Stars!
Agaetis Byjurn and Godspeed You! Black Emperor are 2 of the most well received records that do absolutely nothing for me. I know the orchestration sounds terrific, and the strings, pianos, flutes create beautiful harmonies, but it's just incredibly boring to me. I will not listen to 9 minutes of pretentious ambient noises to wait for a climax that won't come, in a language that I don't understand again, to see why people love this so much. 2/5.
When this was released I thought it was deep and emotional but upon relistening it appears fucking insufferable. Nice music, but those vocals? Drunken elves.
Unremarkable orchestral stuff with dreary guitar stuff and whiny vocals. I saw these guys live when I was going through a brief post-rock phase. They put on a big visual spectacle show, but I honestly can't remember what I ever enjoyed about the music. I guess it felt like serious, artistic music to me at the time, and I was a try-hard. But it's really the most insipid elements of ambient, classical and rock brewed together into a weak and unsatisfying infusion. Couple of interesting brass moments, and one or two tracks were the vocals actually sound alright - but these are dribbles of interest in an overlength ocean of tedium.
relisten. very pretty album! tracks 2-4 are basically perfect (9/10 but its a lame five point scale)
One problem that a lot of atmospheric albums have is a lack of discernible melody, which is not a problem here. They've successfully created soaring music that still qualifies as music, which is nice. I feel like I need more than one day to properly digest all of it, which is usually a very good sign. Here's a fun game to play if you only speak English, like I do: Try to figure out (without cheating) which songs are sung in Icelandic and which are sung in their made-up gibberish language. Best track: Olsen Olsen
Wie in einer behaglichen Kapsel echolotet man umwabert von Oxytocin Schwaden durch die Kathedralen von Drone, atmet tief und weit und tränenverhangen. Auf die Frage, welches Instrument man hiernach lernen möchte gibt es nur eine Antwort: Wal. 5.0
really liked this! Maybe 4.5 stars 1. cool intro music 2. I kept thinking this one was in English but the end that sounded like heartbeats getting faster was super cool 3. more heartbeat sounds and awesome strings, this is my favorite so far 4. I'm liking the wind sounds and how somber this one is. The vocals are really cool, this was my favorite of the album 5. started off so gentle, I liked that better than the heavy drums. Nice horns though 6. funky beat, I like it. the static at the end didn't feel particularly good 7. the beginning felt almost like when the sun comes out after a big storm?? I also liked the dissonant strings at the end 8. nice and chill 9. "Ágætis Byrjun" apparently means "good start" which I just think is sweet 10. the outro to this was super interesting
Ben ik bevooroordeeld omdat ik al in IJsland ben geweest en ik mij spontaan de landschappen terug voor de geest haal bij het horen van deze muziek? Misschien...
Very spacey? cool! genuinely so good. ny batteri was my favorite but the later songs in the album were super good too its all good
Very nice! Haven't listened to this album yet, but quite a big fan. Definitely can tell that Bon Iver has been influenced by this.
I love this album and play it regularly for relaxing, yet touching and inspiring background music.
Ive loved this album since the first time I listen to it. Someone once described it as "the sound of melting gold cascading down an iceberg" or something like that.
This was such a gateway album for me… I still remember the room I was sat in when I first heard it 20 years ago. Just perfection!
You either love this dream pop Icelandic faerie stuff or you hate it. You can guess where I fall. (Re-listening to this album after over a decade brings back so much emotion… I almost cried for my lost youth during starálfur.)
I remember the first time I heard this. When his voice comes in on the first song I'd not heard anything like it. Excellent
Listening to this makes me realize why I bought the head sets that I did and the speakers that I did. It evokes a sense of curiosity and fills me with cathartic energy... my own personal musings about leaving the work that i am tied to and exploring the world greater.
Transcending, otherworldly, it was something i have never heard before, i have loved every single minute of it
Five stars. An all-time classic, and a personal favorite of mine. As is usually the case with those classic albums, I won't write a full-blown review here given that others have already written wonderful stuff about them and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. Àgaetis Byrjun is just a timeless gem aimed at anyone who's into Sigur Rós or even post rock at large. Go and listen to this record a.s.a.p. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 955 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 21 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 8 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important to me): 14 Albums I might not be the best person to judge, but that I *might* include in my final list: 3.
The first time I checked this album out was upon watching the Pixies documentary loudQUIETloud, in which the Pixies were followed in Iceland going to meet Sigur Ros in their studio almost in a pilgrimage way. I don't remember seeing the Sigur Ros bandmembers on screen but I remember going WTF after hearing this. I also remember my friend saying exactly the same. I sure wasn't expecting an ambient album, and never played it again. Last year, someone suggested me () and my opinion about the band changed, but it wasn't until I received this vinyl copy that I really came back to Ágætis Byrjun (I just copypasted the title, it seems impossible to retype!). It really is an album that deserves to be listened on vinyl, and I was wrong: it is not an ambient album, there is so much more about it. I don't know if it's Iceland that do this to musicians, but the first impression I got is that it's heavenly, cold and warm at the same time, as if it were reflecting the sun at midnight. It's just majestic. There is a dream-like quality to this music. No surprise that they cite Spiritualized as one of their influences, but still, sonically, there is almost nothing on this album that could ressemble that band. I was about to go through every single track and try to describe them only to discover that it would have been a useless exercise: here, the music speaks by itself. I cite from the record booklet: "... we had our own idea of what a song was about... because of how it made us feel. Like, underwater, or a womb-like floating feeling". And I couldn't agree more. I still struggle with long albums, but this one went down much better, and that's surely positive.
Holy shit. 10/10 I know an album is good when my first impressions of it are "Wait.. this could be the best album I've ever heard in my life"
Jebena najveća petica na cijelome svijetu i svemiru. Spoznala sam značenje života kad sam poslušala ovaj album prije 7 godina. Vidjela sam boje koje nisam znala da postoje. Upoznala sam vraga i rekao mi je da su Sigur ros njegovi anđeli koji su otišli jer su imali ambicije u glazbi. On je bio okej s tim jer su toliko dobri. Kad Jonsi krene sa svojim falsetom dođe mi da se rasplačem ko beba. Ne znam koji kurac se događa tam na Islandu al oni očito znaju neš što mi ne znamo.
I remember my sister being a big Sigur Ros fan when I was a kid/teen but I never really listened to them myself even though I'm a pretty big post-rock fans and these guys are some of the pioneers I'm told. I regret not getting around to it sooner immensely. What a chillingly beautiful album throughout with loads of great, unique ideas. Think this will only grow with multiple listens but I am in awe. Need to check more albums from them ASAP.
This is what all those lofi ethereal playlists are going for huh? I fucking wish I could understand the vocals, but this sounds so good.
minne meg om videregåande såg dei på bergenfest for nåken år siden, var bra såg kygo utenfor strippeklubben på vei heim
Elemental, beautiful, atmospheric, idiosyncratic. It is what I imagine the ambient sound in Iceland to be!
This morning I was walking in the nearby wetlands, on a foggy morning. Revisiting this album. I almost forgot how warm, ethereal and beautiful music can make me feel. This is one of the most amazing pieces of music ever made.
I just deleted all my notes accidentally oh my god here we go I could never really get into sigur rós because of the new language thing but I think it is cool in concept The instrumentals fit the singing well in almost every track The new language is kind of growing on me now I like it I kinda like how each track is really long for some reason The singing is really well executed even though I dont understand it I enjoyed this project way more than I thought I would and I really loved it I am blown away 10/10
Aged wonderfully since I first heard it years and years ago. Beautiful, cathartic, classic.
Peaceful. Inspiring. Dreamy. Hypnotic. Magic. Essential. Breathtaking. Wonderful. Post Rock. 1999. Sigur Rós. Ágætis Byrjun.
I _really_ like me some cinematic post-rock, and this is a great album, sure, but its inclusion on the list throws into sharp relief all the other bands from this genre that have been omitted. We could comfortably halve the number of albums by white (mostly British) guys ripping off the blues in the 60s and 70s and include more representatives of splinter genres, and that would make a much more interesting list... So, this 5 star review is dedicated not just to Sigur Ros, but to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mogwai, Do Make Say Think, Mono, A Silver Mt. Zion, Explosions in the Sky, and 65daysofstatic! Fave track - "Svefn-g-englar", I think - I coincidentally rewatched "Vanilla Sky" between listening to this and writing the review, and it's used excellently in the film...
This is right up my alley. Love this band so much and this album has been on high rotation for a long time.
Sigur Ros is a perfect example of a band, that should be included on this list. They have such an unique sound and style, every album is completely different, yet there is no mistake, it always sounds like Sigur Ros. Also, one of few bands, that basically teleports you to the country of origin, in this case Iceland, of course, thanks to the fenomenal atmosphere of music. Sigur Ros is also high on my list of bands, that I would like to see live, but only in the middle of nowhere on a random Icelandic hill (like in Olsen Olsen video). Agaetis Byrjun most likely is on this list, because it's the first album, where Sigur Ros found their style and almost made it perfect. In my opinion, their bigger achievments are ( ) and Takk... Nevertheless, every song is interchangeable between those records and sometimes you could treat it as one. The best songs on the album are, unsurprisingly, self-titled and Sven-g-englar. Beautiful compositions, that just require you to close your eyes and drift away to that icelandic hill. One of the better contemporary bands in recent history.
very good and weird, the Icelandic really adds to the angst. So many sounds and moods. Too weird for lab (their loss)
Forgot about this group. Hadn’t listened to the entire album, but it’s worth listening.
Pure artistic wonder. I felt like I was floating through the ocean and forests and space. Love it.
Этот альбом продолжает неделю не моей чашки чая. Запись длится больше часа, что по нынешним музыкальным меркам ну очень долго, при этом под конец приходилось себя даже заставлять дослушать. Что касается самой музыки, мне понравилась атмосфера, которую она создаёт, и то, как Sigur Rós используют голос в качестве ещё одного инструмента.
Brings me back. I can see where I stole some of my long drawn out bendy distorted sounds from. Very rich, a bit moreish. Not something I’d listen to everyday but a nice experience to revisit
This album has a bit of a New Age sound to my ears, though Wikipedia tells me it is an Icelandic rock band. I remember hearing about them before, but I can’t remember exactly why. I like the album pretty well.
This was way more exciting than expected. It's interesting that even though you can't understand a word, the epic and ethereal nature of the music is really enjoyable.
Very different. Kinda trippy. This is apparently what everyone on r/guitarpedals wants to play haha The title means "a good start." The art on the cover was drawn by someone with a bic blue pen. This is the groups breakthrough album. I think their third. The group is Icelandic. Makes sense. This sounds like I would expect Icelandic music to sound. Like they wrote it while out on a boat surrounded by glaciers.
I discovered Sigur Ros as quite a young teen as was my introduction to more experimental music. Love this. Nostalgia hit.
Since it was all in Icelandic it was all about the music and not the lyrics. Interesting, felt a bit like Radiohead.
This is very different to common music, I really loved the atmospheric vibes of the music and the instrumentation is pretty good
El disc amb el que tothom va descobrir Sigur Rós. Conté el seu clàssic immortal "Svefn-g-englar" i uns quants temazos més. Recordo que quan vivíem junts al Jordi li agradava molt, tot i que no sé si mai l'havia escoltat sencer atentament. Recuperar-lo al 2021 m'ha fet sentir-lo més comercial i accessible del que recordava, potser perquè el grup ha continuat experimentant i amb el temps s'ha tornat una mica hermètic. L'àlbum és una mica llarg i excessiu, però en tot cas el retrobament ha estat força satisfactori, i m'ha agradat més del que esperava.
Whenever I listen to an album intro it just makes me wish I was listening to Mylo Xyloto. ABSOLUTELY LOVE SVEFN-G-ENGLAR Middle was a blur, great for homework Olsen Olsen and Agaetis Byrjun are a great wind down
Leider war ich gestern überhaupt nicht in der richtigen Laune für die Platte: gestresst, gehetzt, genervt und insgesamt unausgeglichen. Dass sie dabei trotzdem noch so gezündet hat (in wesentlichen Teilen angehört im Stau auf dem Weg zum/vom Baumarkt, wo ich mir Ersatzteile für die korrodierte Abflussleitung vom infolgedessen undicht gewordenen Waschtisch im Drive-In abgeholt habe): Top-Qualität. Ich wünsche mir mehr ruhige Momente mit oder ohne leicht einen sitzen und dann! diesen Monolithen. Find ich wirklich supergut, und ich bin kein Fan von Falsettgesang. 4,4
Sounds like the soundtrack to a film of an epic journey - longing, triumphant, poignant, hopeful, sometimes plodding, earnest. Love the subtle incorporation of guitar feedback, so often overdone. Orchestral arrangements are supple and gorgeous. A wonderfully immersive album. My one criticism is that the emotional tone rarely deviates, and for a relatively lengthy album (71 mins), it's a little heavy for a single session of close-ish listening, some moments of levity would help.
A pretty cool album, but definitely not something I'd listen to regularly. Has it's place though
No puedo citar nada porque ni idea de lo que dicen, pero me gusta mucho este disco. La verdad es que respeto un montón el trabajo de esta gente y la decisión de hacerlo en su idioma, ojalá más gente se animase (o tuviese la oportunidad de llegar a los canales comerciales, más bien)
I really enjoyed listening to this! Insane atmosphere even though the vocals sometimes sounded a little whiny. I’m a sucker for the string ensemble/drum machine combo on Staralfur. I feel like this is the kind of music that the lyrics would make or break, but I guess it gets a free pass by being in Icelandic. Every time I think “man this could use a little more energy” there’s a big crescendo or the drums hit or something. I really appreciate the horns as well. There were only a few songs I felt were too long, I think the length worked in most places. Title track is really cool. It’s not every day stuff for me but definitely a cool and interesting listen
Love this album. Great for a lazy Sunday morning. So calming, it reminds me of long bus rides, travelling.
Not sure why I've never explored Sigur Ros further than Takk as I really love that album. This one was really cool, but I think it needs a few more listens to properly get my head around it. 7.5/10
Kende het alleen van naam en dat ene liedje. Vind het nog wel oké zweverige muziek. Twijfel tussen 3 (ok) of 4 (zou ik dit bewust eens opzetten?), dus voordeel van de twijfel, en dus - four points from the jury -
Hipnótico, synthpop etéreo, ambient cantado por valquirias islandesas. Totalmente relax.
A vast and gorgeous record. Incredible arrangements and soundscapes. Some album can take your somewhere and bring you back. Others can transport you somewhere and just leave to there for a while. This is the latter. Lovely.
This was a really cool, unique album. I love the sound and the vibe of it and will check out some of their other stuff!
D'excellente qualité, je m'attendais a écouter un album du petit con de Petit Biscuit suite aux allegations de ressemblances colportees par mon compagnon d'ecoute le tres irritable robcouleuvre, mais il n'en etait rien. Une nouvelle opinion desastreuse pour Rob, un nouvel album a reecouter pour moi.
This was a great album to listen to first thing on a Sunday morning while I’m waking up and relaxing and eating breakfast. Beautiful soundscapes and it makes me wanna visit Iceland more than I did before.
OK just based on the album and artist name I'm not expecting this to be in English, so I'm preparing to keep that in mind while listening. I'm gonna keep notes a bit more succinct this time. I was right, it's not in English. I found out it's Icelandic. It's very artsy. A bit slow moving. It's not necessarily what I'm in the mood for but I definitely see the merit in it. By song four it almost sounds like a ballad of some sort. Am I crazy, or does this remind me of Switchfoot's less traditional rock songs? I very much enjoyed song eight. Song nine sounds like something I've heard before. IDK what exactly but it's bringing back something. Maybe it reminds me of Coldplay? Like, older Coldplay. Beginning of song ten made me think of Darude and Switchfoot in like .2 seconds of each other, in that order. This was a well crafted album. Not my typical style but I appreciate it for the art that it is.
What a lovely chill albums. Who knows what they are singing about but it puts my hairs on end! Love it.
The instrumentation is very cool, but I really like understanding lyrics and I dont speak icelandic :( still gr8 tho
Ahh. Was nice to listen to this again after a very long time. It’s hard to imagine ever being at a point in my life where “Staralfur” won’t kind of just stop me in my tracks. I kind of wish that this album was just one amazing song from the next instead of those more ambient moments that are there purely just for mood, but damn… what a unique mood it is. Fuck it, I’m moving to Iceland.
I was so excited when this popped up. An artist I only really know one track of, but always felt one day I would invest time to listen to and knew I'd love. Three tracks in and I'm hearing wall to wall beauty. I really enjoyed the whole album. It sounds like there is so much space in the sound, like endless skies, towering mountains. Everything I had expected to hear from this artist.
This style of music isn't typically my thing, but I really enjoyed this album. The melodies were really interesting and the instrumentation was cool. I'm not sure if it was spoiled or enhanced by the fact that I can't understand what they were saying. I was initially annoyed seeing so many songs that were 7-10 minutes long, but they really held my attention - which is odd. I actually enjoyed some of the longer songs more than the 3-4 minute ones. In any case, I was leaning towards a "3" through most of this, but I'm giving it a "4" in the context of this list. It really is an album that I think people should listen to, and one that they probably haven't already heard. I'd recommend it.
I was an early adopter (pre-Vanilla Sky) of Sigur Ros. A real insider, by virtue of the "staff picks" section at Wherehouse Records in Mt. Pleasant. I loved their first couple records and then lost touch. For me, this record was timed perfectly. As Radiohead abandoned their guitars for synths (which I was good with), I did find myself wanting a band that still captured those spacey and cinematic sounds with traditional instruments. Enter: Sigur Ros. A made-up language? Even better. I saw these guys on the tour for their next record ( ) and it was spectacular. There was a rumor floating around in my musical group of friends (before instant-internet vetting was possible) that Sigur Ros and Radiohead were going to score a musical together and perform it in London. I was as good as on the plane. Didn't happen.
I actually listened to this album once a year ago and was intrigued when this popped up. To me this is what an album should be, a collection of songs that blend together musically well. The only reason why its 4 stars is because unless it appeared in a study playlist, I wouldn't listen to any of these songs individually. When in the right mood and the right time its a 5 but elsewhere it would be a bit annoying and almost impossible to listen for 70 straight minutes without changing to something else. Great album though
Very interesting and atmospheric album. Giving it a 4 for now, but that might change later on.
hmmm, we'll see... Was great for background when I was gaming. Daughter hated it in the car. Thumbs Up.
Very cohesive and blends together nicely, but each song still manages to stand out in its own way. The album in its entirety makes me nostalgic for something I can no longer remember and it's almost painful to think about that. I enjoyed this listen very much and will check out the artist.
I didn't know what to expect with this band and boy was I impressed. Nice ambient sounds that remind me of some mellower Radiohead.
Good album, was everywhere for a while, but the songs stil hold up. Very relaxing, very chilled, very enjoyable in a low key way. Svefn-g-englar probably my favourite, along with the title track
I'm doing ok at this game. Listened this album to death back in the day too. It's still dreamy, it's still good, but sounds a little bit old to me.
Icelandic Radiohoead. I don't mean that as an insult, I think I like this more than the Radiohead albums we've had so far, but the spirit is similar to me. Some amazing, expansive tracks on here, especially the first few. I recognized a couple, including Starálfur, which was used in Wes Anderson's Life Aquatic, but before I looked that up I honestly thought Radiohead covered that song. The initial strength wore off a little bit, but it was a very comforting album, an extremely pleasant journey. I really dig this kind of music, give us more post-rock ambient stuff like this, Mr. List. Favorite tracks: Starálfur, Svefn-g-englar, Flugufrelsarinn, Ný batterí. Album art: Simple and effective. Some little creature praying in the womb, presumably in a language I don't understand. That's how the music hits me too, and I love it. 4.5/5
This is definitely an album that I would have never heard had I not decided to join this website, which makes me glad I ultimately decided to. Really cool stuff going on overall throughout the album. The only thing I would say is that I think some tracks are too long. Favorite Tracks: Agaetis byrjun, Viorar vel til loftarasa, Hjartao hamast, Flugufrelsarinn
Icelandic post-rock weirdness. As the cover art would suggest (and the translated title, "A good beginning"), this album is a lot like floating around in the womb. It's dreamy, mellow, nice. Instrumentation helps achieve this goal with a lot of reverb, some strings, and dainty keys. While the arrangements are something to behold, this is largely held back, I feel, by the vocals. I can look past unconventional vocal stylings most times, though when it detracts from the music I can't help but notice. Additionally, I feel that "Olsen Olsen" was a perfectly good closer, and the two tracks that come after it are superfluous. Otherwise, it's a very nice listen.
Beautiful music. Wish I knew what the lyrics meant. My only criticism is that after about 45 minutes in, it gets kind of same-y. However it is beautiful and relaxing. Great for working.
Kyllä se vaan toimii. Jotenkin ilman ymmärrettävää kieltä Sigur Ros osaa kuitenkin rimputella sydänjuuriani.
Moving album. It fills my head like a film soundtrack, which is what the more know songs on the album have been used as. Sigur Rós flew under my radar for the most part until ( ), and I have never really explored their early work. The beautiful, etheral vocals firm Jonsi put this apart for me. His voice is its own instrument.
Very weird. Not my usual cup of tea but I'm glad I listened to it. It's definitely out there.
First Listen: A majestic post/prog rock re it’s seemingly based on missing the beauty of childhood (lyrics aren’t in English so I’m guessing). It feels like a journey through the heavens and into space.
I'm a fan of Sigur Rós, and Jónsi. I think I've listened to this album before. I know I have listened to lots of individual tracks and live performances from the band. The first two full tracks ("Svefn-g-englar" & "Starálfur") were the tracks that I recognized as having heard them before. "Starálfur" was my favorite track, but "Ágætis byrjun" and "Svefn-g-englar" were close behind. The album was consistent and each track was 'good' or better.
Sigur Ros are a genre leader for this brand of trance folk and this album is one of their best
This one is an anomaly for me. I love the music, the feel, the overall aura of this album. But, I’m huge on lyrics and meaning behind songs, so something not in my native language is often hard for me to digest. Audibly though, it’s a masterpiece.
Overall, I consider this band to be a little to ethereal for their own good, but I've always liked this album and would rank it with the best of post-rock.
Really nice, athmospheric and full of emotions but I feel that it is easier for me to use it as background music than actively listening to it.
Main character music. This is for when you're starring in your own movie, experiencing all the waves of deep joy and sorrow, staring out a bus window while you reflect on all the big moments of your life.
Fancy listening to a man sing in a made up language? Then this is the album for you. Typical adjectives for this album seem to be "ethereal" and "deep". The instrumentals are great but unfortunately the yelping of the singer can get a bit grating. Best Tracks: Svefn-g-englar; Staralfur;
Really enjoyed this. Heard various tracks before and clearly just wasn’t in the right mood. Love the feel of it as a while album and the interplay between the music and the other sound textures. One to play again.
U početku mu bilo “huh, ovo su 5 i 4 ocjene?!??” Al kak je album išo dalje, kužim i SLAŽEM SE
Ovo je album koji si znam pustiti da me uspava fino, veoma je lijep na takav način. Kvalitetan, iako ništa ne razumijem, ali je meni dovoljna boja glasa uz divne instrumentale.