Ágætis Byrjun

The instrumentation is key player here, along with the ethereal vocals. Some cool dramatic moments, but for the most part a more calm sound. Overall it was nice though not really for me

Ok

Some beautiful tracks and it takes me back to the good old days. But it does drag into same-ness

Apparently, Sigur Ros is not my thing. I always thought they were more atmospheric black metal. This just isn't my scene.

It was good background music for a Monday morning. 3/5

Dull

I it's not an album I would listen to at just any time of the day, but when you need some peace, just something nice in the background, this really does it.

The instruments were good, but the songs too long. I felt like it was a soundtrack to Close Encounters or an outer space movie.

this is just a different album, and it really has nothing to do with it not being in English. for the most part, I enjoyed the more instrumental pieces (predominantly as background music), but then those pieces would devolve into too many discordant sounds. vocally, the female was stronger than the male (his voice got annoying). was it interesting-kinda. would I ever listen to again-no

Wasnt bad. Quite nice and chilled. Something you stick on for background music.

Fitting listen for a flight back from Scandinavia. Great stuff. Nice and chilled. Not quite 4*. 71/100

is this shit even english nvm no words nvm words gave up its ok

Beautiful, haunting, affecting music but you have to be in the right mood for this one. Not as much melody as my brain needs to be tickled so I probably won't revisit this.

a lot of this is sleepy time music not bad though

Too long?

Very peaceful, though I'm glad they hadn't gone into their full avant-garde lyrical gibberish yet...though I suppose as an English-speaking listener it's all the same. Good for a rainy day. Listened to: at home. Favorite track: svefn-g-englar

creepy artwork. Its you-ee-youuuuu…

felt like I was in the midnight zone of the ocean and slowly ascending

Not bad, but not for me

put me to sleep (literally) but not in a bad way

Pretty cool music to play on a Sunday morning. Nothing more than that. 3.0 *

Man, back in the day i was obsessed with these dudes. Great band creating really atmospheric, lovely sounds. Some good late night toking relaxation music. Need to be in the right headspace for this, most def.

The music can be beautiful at times but there is something about Sigur Rós that I have never liked. Maybe it's partly to do w/ the fact that they use a made up language. Maybe the music is too low energy for normal listening. The album isn't bad, it's just not for me.

I think this is music for the sake of art rather than pleasure. Or Listening to it in a cubical simply sucks all the beauty and power from the album. Impossible to know really.

It was fine, but not really my thing.

This album was ok. On first listen it was kind of droning/bland, though I liked hearing some classical instruments in the mix. On second listen I started to pick up some melodies that slightly hooked me, though it still had a movie-score feel. Other people in my group were put off by Sigur Ros using a made up language on one of the tracks in this album (and for the entirety of other albums) but I don't pay attention to lyrics as much anyways so it didn't bother me.

Sigur Ros has always been too precious and affected for my tastes. Too distant and performative to connect with personally. That said, they aren't so much bad, as just not my thing. And, this album shows more variety in the second half.

I'm more familiar with Takk (and have fond recollection of it) but this hit a little too sound-scapey for me. & when it wasn't distant satellite / deep ocean noises, it sounded vaguely dated, like Icelandic art-types trying to mimic Massive Attack or Morcheeba (Flugufrelsarinn in particular). It didn't help that it mostly felt down tempo (except for maybe Staralfur and Agaetis byrjun.) Soundscapes I can maybe do if at least they don't sound sad.

Soothing, pleasant music.

An easy listening instrumental

Maybe some good study music

I liked this, but I think people only need one Sigur Ros album in their life, and it isn't this one.

I hadn’t listened to this digit rod album before, I prefer their 2008 album which is less techno-esque. I did appreciate this album. It was interesting and moody.

Insanely beautiful. I don’t think it has enough interesting elements to justify the song lengths.

I have a bad association with Sigur Rós after being forced by friends on acid to leave Pearl Jam to see Sigur Rós while at a festival. Left a fun lively show to sit and listen to ambient noise while everyone around me was laying in the grass basically sleeping. It made me hate Sigur Rós for a long time. That said, it’s been about 15 years since that happened and this is the first time I’ve listened to them since that incident. While I don’t think I’ll be an active listener, I do believe the music is really good quality but it still feels like something you’d just have on in the background or that you’d hear in a movie’s soundtrack.

A band I've been curious about - this was pretty good. Favourite track Flugufrelsarinn

This one needs a few listens & a bit of time to start appreciating. It's good but can be a bit dull in places. A lot of songs start out slow but improve & build towards the end but most of them do tend to be overly long. This would've been a very good album if it'd been edited down by about a third. It's still a solid 3 stars though. Songs of note are 'Sraralfur', Flugufrelsarian', 'Ny Batteri' & 'Olsen Olsen'.

Wish I understood the lyrics more.. some songs are a complete vibe.

beautiful experiance, great as an album, but i couldn’t return to any song or differentiate the songs from each other really. it would be hard to return to. if it was on though i would listen to it

Agaetis Byrjun is a weird album for me. Its often difficult to tell what genre this album even is due to it flip-flopping around genres like rock, pop, electronic, and shoegaze but i guess i can agree that its an ambient album. That does kind of add to this album's rather interesting nature with it's songs. The songs themselves do sound pretty good for what they were trying to pull off with this sort of music and the problems with it are just the usual ambient album problems. It might not be an amazing album but it definitely is a very interesting one. Best Song: Staralfur Worst Song: Ny batteri

I wish I was fluent in Hopelandic

The music is effortless yet the vocals feel forced. Its a strange combination but works. I know little of Icelandic culture but this music seems to sit comfortably with what I assume that culture to be.

I'm torn on Sigur Ros. I feel like I should love them but I don't. Their albums always sound nice and dreamy when listening to them, but they turn out to be one of those dreams that you forget instantly and wake up groggy and confused. Surprised to see this is their best rated album, been a while since I listened to them but I think I prefer the later ones (Takk etc.)

It’s just what you’d expect if you like this type of ambient-ish meandering music. If you don’t stay clear.

It’s a compliment to say that I used this album to help me sleep 20 years ago. Great for when the mood is right, but the mood has to be right.

Solid. Good background music. Surprised by some subtle catchy melodies and hooks.

Ok

Very cool! Nice, easy listening, calming, relaxing and spirtitual music. Might be something I listen to again in the future.

Some really beautiful sounding sections, but it was an extremely slow burn. I would've liked an abridged version of this, instead of it being stretched very thin

Yhteen pötköön tää on mulle vähän liikaa, satunnaisina tunnelmapaloina 5/5.

Ethereal, at times quite beautiful, but maybe too wispy

Nice album to wind down with after a hard day at work.

Cool album, late 90s new age stuff. The most popular song (according to Amazon Music) is track #2 which I had to move on from after 8 minutes (the song is 10 mins) of the same riff over and over and over. Some people dig it, I didnt. Album was fine overall, might be interested in checking out more.

Better than I expected. Very different there in Iceland

I like the vibe, but it gets pretty boring always hearing the same thing

New classic that was beloved by my brother when it came out - he bought it on our family trip to Iceland. Looking forward to this. Not bad! It fades into the background though

Nice background music.

doidera, mas precisa de estar na vibe

I thought I liked Sigur Ros so I was kind of surprised to find I didn’t love this!

I'd played albums by Sigur Ros before, so I knew what to expect - an album of lush dreamy music, somewhat proggy in feel. Lyrics mostly in Icelandic. this one of the rare non-English language album in this selection of albums, for which I'm pleased. However I thought the tracks were all a bit same-y, except for the occasional one where the singer's tone grated somewhat.

It’s ok, in an Icelandic epic sort of way.

Sweet and melodic but can’t understand the lyrics

Staralfur

Will probably throw this into the night time sleep rotation

So sleepy now

Ive tried listening to Sigor Ros before (and Mogwai) and find I like the idea of this sort of music more than I actually enjoy listening to it. It's great as background music but I don't tend to want to listen again. I enjoyed this album more than anything else I've heard by them which is a good sign, there were a few tracks which stood out. That said, still sounds like it's being arty for the sake of it in a lot of places. I might listen again but for now it's a 3.

Nice, very laid back. Kinda background for me but nothing wrong with that sometimes. Will I listen to again: 40%

I can really conjure up the memory of hearing this for the first time as a youth and being very rattled and impressed by it. Might be taste-related, or just that I’ve heard more music now and my brain is calloused, but I’m less thrilled now. Still, nice to give it a fresh listen, it’s a bit more varied and dynamic than I remembered. Forget the name of the song, but there’s the one that had the jazzy Hammond sounding part, very good.

Seems like a movie soundtrack more than a music album. I didn't mind it.

Pretty cool, Icelandic post-rock, not sure I'd revisit though

i don't live a lifestyle conducive to sitting around listening to an hour of post rock songs anymore unfortunately, but i fondly recall when i did

3.5 - heliteos, üle pika aja tervilik asi kus üleminekud ja asjad. aga kõik lihtsalt ei klikkinud nii meeletult just minu jaoks

This is time and place music. In the right time and place, the atmospheric, repetitive and ghostly sounds and vocals give a meditative and reflective feeling. In the wrong time and place these 10+ minute songs don't have much to offer to keep your attention.

A truly beautiful album. I'm not sure I fully am engaged with it, I have tried a few times but never could bring it to that next level.

Really good non English album.

I don’t think I’d ever listen again but I thought it was really good. Close to a 4.

Gibberish

Ambient and moody. Etherial and weighty. Melodic and dissonant. I picked up the album they put out after his one based off of their sound. Their music would not be an every day play for me, but it can hit the right spot when needed.

I liked most of Starálfur. Hjartað hamast has a good intro and the part leading up to the outro was nice too. Viðrar vel til loftárása was really nice instrumentally until that outro took a turn. I'm really not a fan of the vocals and some parts are boring, but there's still a good amount I like.

Strange

Sigur Rod is a cool and awesome group. I was introduced to them via the Vanilla Sky soundtrack with Svefn-g-englar which is an awesome track. For whatever reason I’ve n ver listened to this album in full or just don’t remember. I really listened to () a bunch and love that album. This album is way more varied and indie rock than I expected. I’ll probably check this one out again but most likely will just listen to Svefn-g-englar and their weird pseudo-English over and over.

Favourite song - sven f englar

hard to rate. points for being interesting. following along with an english translation definitely made it more enjoyable. bit slow for me personally

So-so.

Een uniek geluid. Dat is altijd leuk om eens mee te pakken. Het is een soort Radiohead goes ambient. Al gaan ze naar beide kanten niet all the way. Het is iets minder zeurend dan Radiohead en heeft iets meer een band-klank dan de meeste ambient. Wel moeilijk om actief te luisteren. Ik druk het blijkbaar vrij makkelijk weg in mijn hoofd. Het is daardoor een fijn achtergrondgeluid.

4/10 Icelandic Chilled/Eclectic

This has got to be one of the few album on here completely in a different language where the language is not specific to the genre It’s quietly beautiful, but it’s long as fuck. It would be a great record to throw on and forget about

This really makes you feel like Ágætis Byrjun.

Starts and finishes well, but it sags quite a bit in the middle. Definitely worth a listen though. ‘Svefn-g-englar’ and ‘Viðrar vel til loftárása’ are the standout tracks for me.

Sounds cool but don’t understand a word of it.

Super vibey, manbro...

I'm not really a fan of Sigur Ros generally, too self-important. And I'll be honest, this was kinda dull.

There has been a lot of exposure to Sigur Ros on TV and radio indents and soundtracks (including the very listenable and uplifting Hoppibola), so there were no surprises here. It's mostly gentle, almost ambient, but not in a Brian Eno sense because you are consciously listening to it. Not understanding the language puts emphasis on the feel and tone which change. It is not boring, just different to most rock music.

Interesting!

Really like the start of this album. Driving with the mountains in the background was super cool and almost trancy in a way. Very much enjoyed listening to something so new, kinda was charming not being able to know what they’ve been saying. end kinda lost me but wasn’t paying as close attention, feel like this album requires that. Overall, cool new experience

Aw man it lost my review must not have saved. This was a very calming listen for a froday after a stresdful few days. I listened to it during a workout and it was very relaxing. I picked up on a lot of tones that seemed to deal with childbirth. You can hear a heartbeat at the end of the first song for example. Anyways. Icelandic Radiohead, fun listen

Wow, this is really not my thing. I dig using nontraditional methods for a rock album (I mean, I have Kid A and Amnesiac), but it wasn't until listening to this that I just am not interested. This would be a 2.5 for me, but a 3 based on technical musicianship. I felt like I was watching the end credits for a movie for an hour.

What a beautiful journey. I'm having trouble coming up with a comparison but at no point was I looking to skip ahead. I was just content and relaxed. Enya and Pink Floyd come to mind but still aren't a great comparison.

I've listened to this one before and it never really grabbed me so I wasn't really looking forward to this time through the album. However, I think I've just lived with this one long though that I've started to become used to the cadences of the album. It's never going to be one of my favorites but it has finally hit the point where the curves are familiar enough that I can enjoy the soundscape and get lost in it

relaxing but probably not going to listen to again

Je voulais l'aimer plus parce que Staralfur est magnifique (aussi le climax de The Aquatic Life) mais pas réussi

This was one I missed at the time it was released. I couldn't get through the whole thing.

Is that an ALIEN? With an umbilical cord?! Blew my mind, man. I liked this. It didn’t blow me away, but it was pleasant to listen to with earbuds while working.

I had really low expectations after reading the Wikipedia article about this album. An Icelandic "post-rock" album (whatever the hell that means) sung almost entirely in Icelandic, that is over an hour, and whose tracks lean on the longer side (10+ minutes in some cases). Yeah, I really wasn't sold. And to be honest, it didn't really do a whole lot for me. The tracks are beautiful. The melodies are easy to listen to and at times they soar higher than other tracks of heard in the same/similar genres. My trouble with it is that this is art and, I think, meant to be consumed as such. I know that sounds strange. "Isn't all music art?" Well, yes. But you know what I mean. There's art and then there's *art.* The stuff that wasn't just written to be commercially successful and sell records. It's the stuff that was put together because the people involved had a personal vision. That's what this feels like to me. Maybe that's because of the solemn nature of the sound of this album. Maybe it's because I'm right. I don't know. But my issue with this is that it simply isn't an easy listen. It's tempting to listen to this as background music but then you lose all meaning of the music. This is *art* and in order to be properly understood probably needs very intentional listeners. I just wasn't ready to do that today and so it just didn't hit the way I'm it could've/would've if I was ready to sit down for an hour, close my eyes, and just listen. I guess what I'm saying is, there's nothing wrong this album. There's something wrong with me and the way I consumed it today. Or maybe it just wasn't for me. But I did like it. I don't know. 3 stars. Standout tracks: Svefn-g-englar, Flugufrelsarinn, Ny batterí, Olsen Olsen

This sounds like I imagine I’d feel if I spent some time in Iceland. I’ve heard some of their later stuff and liked it, but sitting with a whole album is something else. A bit disconcerting at times. Songs like Starálfur help break that up though. I like it, even if I don’t see myself returning to it. 3.5

I like the ambient, ethereal sound. Some of the vocals and rock-forward sections take me out of it a bit. Definitely a vibe. 3.6

I only knew Sigur Rós from their album "Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust" which I bought because of how much I liked the single "Gobbledigook". They tend to make me think of Radiohead a lot because the music is delicately orchestrated and has a haunting quality about it, but it's not for me. I could never really get too deep into them, but I'm sure it's hits for tons of people.

Interesting. I liked a lot of it but some of it was a little repetitive. Very ethereal.

Beautiful music that doesn't really go anywhere? Nothing really to complain about but nothing that I really liked either.

Ambient, too long but I like Icelandic.

It was good. No songs I’d listen to again but beautiful as well.

Very chill and atmospheric. Not really my thing, but still a fun ride.

Not my favourite of theirs, but neat background music

Very pretty, but almost too mellow.

I like Sigur Ros for what they are. Icelandic/Nordic Atmospheric Indie Rock with nods to ambient instrumental jams. It's great music for certain things but not all things. I had never listened to this album but I know a bunch of their other stuff. Jonsi, the lead singer's solo stuff is pretty cool too; similar sounding but his voice is very mystifying and calming.

Atmospheric and dreamy. Some of the songs run too long for me but an interesting listen.

Cool post-rock album. Bit too dragged out for me, but for a mood type of album it’s great

The soundtrack I wanna hear if I'm an astronaut looking back at the earth

Initial thoughts on band name, album name, and album art: What the fuck am I about to listen to. Well this album is weird, doesn't help that I looked up the language and it is " gibberish language Vonlenska". They do have an intense electronic feel to them. Feels like a Daft Punk influence pushed together with a lot of other influences. Overall not a bad album but not my jam still. 3 stars for me

This is my type of album! Incredible production and a beautiful listen on headphones. To top it all off, it's in a foreign language so I don't have to try and understand the lyrics and I can just enjoy the voice as an instrument ala Radiohead. Sigur Ros now sits firmly as my second favorite Icelandic artist in between Dadi Freyr and Bjork. I don't know if it's because I listened to Bittersweet Symphony this morning, but this sounds similar to The Verve in spots. This album started off as a solid 4, but slowly drifted into a very average album as it progressed. Definitely a handful of songs I really liked especially at the beginning and Olsen Olsen, but I can't imagine I'll pick this album up again in the future.

This is an album that I recognize is good, but it just doesn’t click with me.

Very chilled & relaxing without being tedious or boring. Enjoyed that.

Música ambiental. Agradable. Parece como música de despedida.

Early Floyd like Reminiscent of Portishead

Wenn man auf atomsphärische Klänge steht.

5/10 - 3/5 Not really my vibe. I do appreciate all the effort that went into it, and it has a good vibe, but it's pretty slow and atmospheric.

The best adjective for me to describe this album is atmospheric. It sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a sci fi movie. I feel as if I’m drifting through space, peacefully feeling the warmth of the stars as I float by, and yet I somehow also feel sad as I hear the strange melodies of the Icelandic voice. Words not understood, but somehow felt.

Slow, cold, clumsy, a endless sleepwalk through a dark nightclub by day

Spacy

Their is a lot going on, and I am too dumb and white to understand. Olsen Olsen was really nice

Without context, this was an album of beautiful soundscapes. Overall, however, there was nothing "exceptional" about it, in my opinion. Standout track: Flugufrelsarinn

Liked the melancholic vibe, it was a bit boring though

An old favorite.

I am unsure

Probably better in headphones. I really think you have to be in the mood. I remember it being something I liked a lot back in 2005.

Chill. Background. Great instrumentation - synthesizer, drums, keyboard, guitar, cello, horns.

I really liked how this started and that it is something unique and haunting and definitely weird, but it was too much of the same on repeat. I needed something different peppered in to give it a great review, as it is I liked it well enough but left me wanting more.

This album had some really good songs and some that made me feel really bad- like my bones were itchy.

Even though I don't speak Icelandic and had to look up all the lyrics, I thought this was a very moving concept album. The band did a really good job of making me feel isolation during all of the tracks at the same time as hope and disappointment. Sonically, it is beautiful and complex. The reason I'm not giving it four stars is because it was an hour and a half. I have that's really hard to listen to as a full album. I still think it was best to listen to altogether, but I probably can't do that again many times. Individual tracks will definitely be revisited.

I liked the vibes, but I would have enjoyed this more if I were on drugs.

If gave me feelings and I do not appreciate it

Was confused for a moment because it sounded familiar, but then I realized Jónsi is the vocalist lmao. It's cool and all but I'm looking for revolutionary.

Its fine I guess. I don't want to revisit any tracks, only to listen as background music. I find the vocals quite annoying tbh. Sigur Ros overrated to me. 2.8/5

Filmisch, prachtig, sfeer, nostalgisch, warm dekentje. Soms iets te warm, lang geleden dat ik dit hoorde en 't is me soms net allemaal te cozy en mooi en wiiiiijjjjds en laaaang enzo. Maar op de juiste moment ergens 's nachts onderweg door een sprookjeslandschap is dit zalig. En Olsen Olsen is sowieso leuk om mee te brullen als hymne.

What the hell is this - my dad

They’re talented enough, and the music is “pretty,” but just kind of boring.

Not great not terrible

I was really disappointed by this. It’s all much of a muchness and certainly did not move me to tears like someone else said

good atmosphere, moody background music. each song took too long to start though, which wasted the listeners’ time.

I wanted to like this more than I did. I didn't hate it though.

Liking it so far. Svefn-g-englar is really nice. Very melancholic yet comforting.

im not the biggest fan of post-rock, but this was relatively pleasant. didnt like vocals tbh hard to call it significant too, its more of "most popular" in this case. also didnt even realise the album has ended, cause next song by Red Sparowes (sic) sounded exactly the same, so thats a -1 point lol Significant 26/74 Liked 11/74 Added 3/74

One of the most interesting folk bands, their music suggests a lot the Icelandic panorama swept by the wind and snow, and the electronic arrangements underline their coldness and vastness. But you have to be in the mood to appreciate them. And I don't always have it :)

ethereal and dreamy, good coding music since it's not in English (Icelandic and gibberish??) I am giving 3 because though it was memorable, I might not go back and listen

what a unique album! sigur rós' Ágætis byrjun made for an extremely pleasant listening journey. peaceful, ethereal, dreamy. the whole album had such a chill vibe, but they were still able to expand past their ambient genre. a great example is in "hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm)", where the opening is country-like, which definitely came out of left field. i enjoy them pushing the boundary of their music! i suppose the only negative thing to say is that it's hard to listen to this whole album straight through. sigur rós know what they're about and go hard in exactly one direction. i wouldn't call them one note by any stretch, but it can be a lot to listen to song after song of them.

Might have been more appreciated if I was able to listen with headphones.

Kind of nice to listen to while working.

3 This album sounds like what I imagine it feels like to be floating in a sensory deprivation chamber, in a really good way

Very calming, pleasant to listen to. 3.25 Stars Favourite songs: - Starálfur - Ágætis Byrjun

Never listened to any ambient stuff like this before but I thought it was pretty good. I didn't like the vocals in some of the songs, especially earlier on in the album, though. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could.

ok as background noise I guess

Interesting album, kind of ambient music, some tracks reminded me of Radiohead. Overall not bad

Ethereal rock isn't my fav, but this was quite well done. That said, I'll be happy to not listen to it again.

Interesting

Very nice ambient music that I will probably return to.

Listened to this twice to see if I was missing something. Liked it less the second time. It’s fine background music I guess

Samey vibes and long tracks but pretty good music to chill to. Wouldn't listen on a casual day but definitely something to put on when studying/playing a game and want some nice chill background vibes

ihan sillee mukava ja rrrrakastan islanninkielellä laulettuu musiikki mut kävi kyl vähä pitkäks vaikkaki oli sillee sellasta mitä vähä halusinki tältä levyjen kuuntelu hommalta mut ei jääny kyl sillee hirveen posi vibat vaikkaki näin kyl kui innovatiivinen oliki

Interesting album! I’ve not heard anything like this before!

Sigur Rós delivering exactly what you expect them to. A particular and ethereal sound with a very demanding listening experience, you really need to be in the mood.

Heel erg goed begin, daarna werd het helaas erg vaag. Op basis van de eerste paar nummers een 4, maar zwakte dus af. Een magere 3

Not my cup of tea

Given I bought this when it came out it’s amazing how little of this I know. The start is majestic particularly when that awe inspiring guitar whails in the 2nd track Sfevn-G-Englar (possibly written about Sven Goran Erickson managing the England football team) but the tracks are too long to hold the attention of a young persons mind, i now have more time, more patience. This is cinematic music. Im not a fan of the vocals, they’re a bit middle of the road for me and the music is so strong & powerful there’s no need for words or vocals, just left your self get carried along in the wind, from still to breezy to howling. It’s timeless music it’s aged very well, I just picture wild vast Icelandic landscapes but that’s much down to their film Heima which is a must see and 1 of my favourite music documentaries of all time. It’s classical music really which harks back to an olden age of a simpler pastoral time, it’s classical country music. It’s epic and dramatic but here’s the thing with most tracks on the LP over 7 minutes and 2 over 10 it can’t maintain that, I think it should have had shorter tracks in there to break it down change the pace & mood before building back up. The vocals are too twee for me but that guitar howl is quite something, could do with more of that shoegaze sound. Although dreamy and ethereal it’s also very well arranged and tidy.

2.5

Kind of moody and atmospheric. Not bad

Ambiance très onirique dans plusieurs titres, qui aurait bien matché à la série Sandman J'ai apprécié mais je ne me suis pas enjaillée non plus 🤔 La pochette est un peu dérangeante

Je pourrais écouter ces musiques en musique de fond en travaillant, ou en lisant un livre fantasy. Vraiment bien aimé l'intro, Bien aimé Ný batterí / Olsen olsen / Avalon

Very solid background music, but it doesn't feel more. In fact, don't some of you find this to be a tad cheesy? Some of the payoffs in songs sound like the soundtrack to a movie where the characters are celebrating, and it starts to wear a little tiring by the end. Certainly a decent little project, but probably won't stick out too much to me in just a few days.

OK, calming music and well written musically. Good for ambience.

Gotta be in the right mood.

Interesting but ultimately not something I would seek out to listen to in the future.

Pretty album but not something I'd seek out it put in rotation.

Better than I would have expected. Very chill and a bid dreary

Like a full album of the most ethereal Radiohead tracks. I’m into it

This just sounds like the ending of a Radiohead song that went on for too long.I don’t really have any feelings on it besides that.

Easy, sleepy

Nice and peaceful, good background music

C+ Intro 2 Svefn-g-englar 3 Starálfur 3 Flugufrelsarinn 3 Ný batterí 3 Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm) 3 Viðrar vel til loftárása 3 Olsen Olsen 3 Ágætis byrjun 3 Avalon 2 This was actually quite good, but I couldn't get totally into it because it was a style that was so foreign and I didn't understand their language at all.

- it's like spiritual, cinematic music, but the high moments on it aren't cool enough for me to sit through 10min songs for it - some of the moments are beautiful though - lord of the rings mountain vibes - fetus music!!! - yeah only a couple songs that have really cool moments

It's pretty, but it does drag on. I would play this in the background while I do things, but I'm not gonna put this on when I wanna listen to music.

Good album, need to listen to this one on some proper headphones next time and not my earbuds. But overall quite interesting.

I enjoyed this album a lot while I was in my car driving at night. I think it really shined in that context, but I wasn't super enjoying it when I was just listening to it at work.

Favourite songs: Svefn-g-englar, Staralfur Agaetis Byrjun

Ofta atmosfäriskt och lite ambient, som i 'Svefn-g-englar', men gillar när det blir mer "konkret", som i 'Flugufrelsarinn', eller det tyngre beatet i 'Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm)'. Gillar också 'Ný batterí' och 'Viðrar vel til loftárása'. Hela albumet, med omslaget inräknat, har en härlig, sammanhängande kosmisk vibe. Spännande att få en introduktion till ett band som jag hört så mycket bra om. Det var ungefär som jag tänkt mig. Dock vet jag inte om det är helt spikrakt in i vebon för mig. De gör sin grej, och de gör det skitbra. Personligen behöver jag nog lite mer action, att något mer händer i en tiominuterslåt än att samma utdragna toner repeteras. Bästa låt: Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm).

It's very good, and the production in particular is amazing. I liked listening to it. But...it's boring? Sigur Ros are boring. I know that's the kind of thing that you get thrown in jail for saying, these days, but there you have it.

Enjoyed it

To wavy for me

really good and new interesting sounds for me.

It was otherworldly. Something I might hear while sitting in a waiting room somewhere.

A bit weird, not bad but nothing special

This was great background music for working. I would put this on again the next time I need background music.

This record is perfect for an overcast or rainy Monday morning. Very mellow, but enjoyable.

Nice. Mellow and heavy orchestral sound.

This works fairly well as background music, but I probably won't come back to this. I appreciate the composition, though; it's like if Rush or some other prog rock band decided to do a super chill album. In Icelandic.

Not bad for an atmospheric play.

This was a nice listen but I don't think I will listen to it again

I like the cover of the album. Fist i thought it was German, then i thought it was Korean, then Slovak and after looking at a song title I now think it might be Icelandic. However I don't know what Icelandic sounds like. Now looking at the description of the album, I can inform you that in the end I was right, it is Icelandic that they are singing ;) A high 3 or a low 4.

Sehr psychedelisch langsame Musik. Ein bisschen wie Weltraumklänge. Meist ohne Vokals, die als solche erkennbar sind, Ausnahme Agaetis Byrjun.

Not for me, but it sounds very cool and cinematic.

Do not listen to if feeling a bit low... Will not help 😭 Interesting stuff ....soundscape , sad .

Kinda weird, apparently I need to either follow along with English translation or learn Icelandic and neither of those is happening. Interesting music that could be more fully appreciated on later listening

It’s a good album but you have to be in the mood for it.

C’est tellement plannant que tu dois écouter ça comme le fétus sur le cover mais sans que tu t’endorme, faque c’est pas mal de setup. Mais genre si t’as une heure avant de dodo c’est parfait

The Radiohead influence is big in this one. I think I need to listen to this again in a different setting than a commute. For now it’s a high 3 but could be a 4.

I think it's a bit long, as I did end up getting a bit bored by the end. At some point it just turned into droning noise to me. I would be interested to follow with an English translation though. The vocals were usually soothing, even if I couldn't understand them. I think this needs a relisten in the future, but as it stands now, I'll give it a three. I think my favourite songs were Intro and Hjartao hamast (bamm bamm bamm), but it got hard to keep track of the songs.

This was a pleasant listen, and a very relaxing one given the post rock and dream pop elements. Mostly I would consider it very nice background music with some interesting lyrics going off the translations I read. I did enjoy the second song very much given the lyrics about the process of birth which was done really well, and the instrumentation reminded me of Mazzy Star

It sounded like a space epic at times which I liked.

Soundtrack to a fever dream. Didn't hate it but its a one and done for me.

Interesting. Very ambient. It's mood music so I have to be in the right mood to listen to it. I'll explore when I'm feeling it. There's potential for me to really like it but for now, it's just OK.

Didn't listen to this much when it exploded. It's very nice in places, but I think I prefer more edges to my post rock. I wasn't gripped really at any point after the initial iconic sting of the opener. Some of it sounded like a slow late-period U2 album track. Also, I think Jon Hopkins came along later and perfected it. Ok edit, I'll take the second half of viorar etc, that's pretty special. Again, this is in here but Mogwai and Godspeed Y!BE aren't? There are far more egregious examples but still.

Similarly to Bryce, I’m a frequent gazer of shoes, but I’ve never much been into the slower and more ambient side of the genre. I will say that this is one of the better of these types of albums that I’ve heard, so I hope this has opened me up a bit to the style. Very relaxing album.

I love Shoegaze, but this was a little bit too slow and somber for my taste. I’m sure the lyrics were good but having them be not in English made it tricky because they weren’t that interesting rhythmically. Will probably listen again, definitely a talented band.

Good musicians. Creative.

Vibes

I have a decent level of music theory. I’ve listened too and enjoyed Holdsworth , Coltrane, Zappa, later Joni Mitchell, Shostakovich, stockhausen, Jaco…. I’m still wondering if this is garbage or genius. One wonders if they weren’t from Iceland would they have received any attention? The stars reflect an acknowledgment I might be too hard. Or. Might not.

This is a gorgeous album. I have the 2 albums they did directly after this, but I’d never heard this before. I don’t know what I can compare it to. I’m sure it reminds me of something, but can’t quite nail it. It’s a great listen.

Jayson Greene (Pitchfork) said of this album "If you are inclined to sniff suspiciously around grandiose music, examining it for kitsch, you probably reeled away staggering from Sigur Rós, who proudly stink of it. This was another part of their appeal and their strength: The music is texturally complex, for sure, but the emotional framework is deliberately simple and clear." Hard to state more clearly; the sound is cinematic and huge with large emotions, even if rendered somewhat cryptic through use of Icelandic and (made up) Hopelandic lyrics. Does this make them an ideal screen on which the listener can project their own emotions? Maybe. It doesn't connect for me, though I can hear the massive influence of the scope and sound, which you hear everywhere in TV, films and advertising. I can listen to this, but I don't trust it enough to be moved by it.

Immaculate vibes. Really one of its kind. But nothing I'd listen to regularly. Yet I still connect Sigur Rós songs with highly emotional situations I keep thinking about after years. Olsen Olsen sounds like the music that would play while Eurovision contestants get introduced in those little videos. The voice is just wow. Fragile. It's music for... Death Stranding. Mysterious Skin. Otherworldly experiences. The ending sounds interesting.

The talent and vision here are pretty obvious. Big sweeping soundscapes, pretty string arrangements. Honestly, I can’t love this because it makes me feel uneasy. There’s a piercing quality to the vocals and the droning empty spaces that get under my skin ever so slightly. It’s a unique and artful album that deserves props, but as of now I don’t see myself listening again. Best song: Olsen Olsen?

It's similar to Radiohead but slightly worse. Radiohead is great so this will get a 3.

I really like the more ambient/shoe-gaze songs a lot. Liked this a lot more than I expected.

Last time I listened to Sigur Rós I didn’t like it. But I rather enjoyed most of this record. Maybe it has to be mood matched. Lyrics clearly aren’t a factor, so relying only on the music and vocals I liked it and would listen again. Atmospheric.

Took a while for me to get into this record. I don't know if I would have liked it more in English.

This is a very good album, but not one I can listen to often. If I'm in the perfect mood, it's good to put on, but I just can't rate something very high if it's not something that I'm happy whenever it comes on.

It’s a cool vibe and they were fun to see live.

Hjartað Hamast (bamm bamm bamm) sounds exactly like you'd expect a song titled "Hjartað Hamast (bamm bamm bamm)" to sound like

Pleasant

bonito pero aburrido

Sigur Rós is one of those bands where I need to take a deep breath and sigh before explaining my feelings. I tried to get into them a long time ago, but as that was pre-streaming, and I was a poor student, I only ever bought one album. I don't know man. They're not really a band you can just have in a playlist with the other normal bands. They're a sit down, shut up, and listen band. They're a purebred show dog watching the shelter mutts from the shade. (I get that dogs are dogs, I just couldn't think of anything else) This album was 30 minutes of me wondering how to say \"God, I'm depressed\" in Icelandic, and 30 minutes of me thinking maybe the world is beautiful after all, and knowing better than to look up the translations (having learned my lesson from the first few I looked up). The music is very beautiful, the vocals are high and breathy, which is off-putting to me. Some songs felt like a dude who was talking too close to my face. I told my listening buddy that I almost feel bad for not liking non-English music, but at the same time, English might ruin this. My favorite song from the album, Starálfur, is about an elf. I can't take that seriously. I really don't know if I'm going to listen more. I might owe it to whomever originally suggested them to 19 year old me to try again. Maybe they were right.

dark and haunting, yet beautiful and cathartic. a little long, though.

not for me

I mean it was pleasant but not really my thing. All in Icelandic, which also doesn't help. 5/10.

Chill, OK

Veryyy cool and trippy, but a bit mundane and lacks intensity for me, 3/5

Whale song for humans, but now as good in the bath as I'd hoped for.

I'm a big fan of theirs. I felt this was a pretty good album not my favorite one but it was very good. I heard one song that they played when I saw them.

This is too minimalistic for me. It is quite pleasant but I'm just not big fan of ambient music. I just feel that this album is not dense enough. Things are happening but it is more background music in my opinion than 1h and 11min worth of focused listening.

Ikkje heilt for meg

Super slow, moody, almost crooning rock. Super not my jam, but I didn't dislike it. I just don't think I'll ever be in the mood for it.

Ethereal 3.8/5

Música conceptual y relajada de escuchar. Melodías hipnóticas y con un ritmo relajante y suave

A band still evolving, some moments of greatness, but also some very lengthy passages when not much happens. Around the corner....

Great craft, however totally not my kind of music...

3.75

Soothing and elegant. Fave Songs: Olsen Olsen, Svefn-g-englar, Starálfur, Viðrar vel til loftárása, Ný batterí

Chill

Classic Sigurd ros

3

this is the music playing when you are romanticizing your life

The music was enjoyable, but there were some flaws. For one, it was a long album with long songs. I'm not the biggest fan of long songs. Some long songs are okay, but there were 2 10 minute songs and like 2 or 3 8 minute songs. A little too much for me. Secondly, I couldn't understand the lyrics. That's not something that bothers me that much (I gave a French album a 4/5), but for an album like this, the lyrics are important. I just didn't get significant meaning or value from the songs. Lastly, none of the songs really stood out to me. They were all fine and enjoyable, but not standout. I give it a 3/5.

nice but completely forgettable. 3

Ágætis byrjun (Icelandic for: A good beginning) is the second album by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. This dreamy ambient pop / shoegaze (indie alt rock) album is an evolution from their ambient soundscapes on their first album, since they added a guitar and some orchestration. It became their commercial and critical breakthrough album, being certified gold in the UK and selling enough to be considered gold in the US (not certified). Released to little media attention, this album quickly climbed the charts in Iceland which gained the album international recognition. It is a relaxing and moody album with beautiful ambient music that soothes a listener's ears. The lyrics are in Icelandic - so I have no idea what is said - but they sound great too. This was a cool album to hear and it must have been surprising for the band to see it succeed so well.

Really nice

4 Es un buen álbum, aunque si duran bastante tiempo sus canciones lo interesante es que no las sentí así, sabía que iban a durar mucho pero cuando las volvía a revisar ya estaba a punto de terminarse. Los instrumentos suenan bastante y uno podría olvidar de que hay alguien cantando .

Not sure I would return to it, but this was nice to listen to.

A bit beige

Atmospheric, to be sure. It sounds nice, but I constantly found myself singing other improvised melodies over the undulating sequence of chords and moans. It's not Jonsi's fault that my melodies were uninspiring, of course.

Cool sound, more in the area of ambience, but nothing exceptional.

Not bad but just very very uneventful, boring and way too long

Tranquil

I've often enjoyed songs that I don't understand the lyrics of (anime related song and the like), so I did enjoy this album. It has some great songs.

Never heard of this band before and was pleasantly surprised. Sounds like an epic background soundtrack for a drama movie; you can feel the emotion in every chord even though you can’t understand a word of it. That being said, a lot of this project does drag on and feels pretentious at times. Really cool for what it is but what it is is just background music. All being said, worth a listen, especially while working

Not my vibe but nothing bad to say about the album, can put it on for background instrumental while working.

couldnt get into it

Boring first half, but got better. Definitely not gym music.

Sigur Rós is from Iceland. This is their 2nd album. Genre: Post-rock, dream pop, ambient, art rock, shoegazing 'Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs' (wikipedia) Singles: Svefn-g-englar, Ný batterí The first song, "Svefn-g-englar" is amazing. The rest of the album is very nice to listen to. Standouts: Svefn-g-englar Others: Ny batteri, Agaetis byrijun This will go onto my mood music playlist for sure. 3/5

There are moments when this is sublime, and moments when it's almost unlistenable. I love Sigur Ros but this is not my favourite album of theirs.

Very Interesting. Never heard of them before. My second time through the album and I think it has some great sounds and it kind of transport you into another realm, like you are in a trance, only broken when the last song is over. I think I could grow to really enjoy this. 3/5 for now.

I found it to generally be an ok album. I would listen to it again but probably wouldn’t seek it out. It’s definitely very experimental. Sometimes it’s smooth, sometimes jarring.

Idk har försökt flera gånger men dethär albumet har aldrig clickat för mig. Ny Batteri går dock hårt

Enjoyable if I’m in the right mood. Found the gibberish lyrics kinda grating.

Okay

крутой альбом для релакса и абстрагирования от всего чего угодно, кроме определения страны происхождения товара . названия слишком издевательские, поэтому мне понравился второй и третий трек, но альбом довольно затянутый и специфичный, как одноразовый экспириенс - это прикольно, но на долгое сотрудничество я просто сдохну, возможно если бы я слушал это каждый день перед сном я бы любил это безумно, но я слушал альбом первый раз, привет исландии!

I was really surprised to see Sigur Ros on this list! I used to listen to them a lot and really enjoyed their sound. This isn't my favorite recording and is a little straightforward and less dynamic than some of their other records. Regardless, I do appreciate it for what it is. I hope they appear on the list again.

weird.

That first track past the intro is an absolute stunner. But it sets the bar so high the rest of the album has a hard time staying up at that level. I'm intrigued by the spacey, atmospheric sound, but the vocals usually break me out of the hypnotic spell, with the exception of that first track, where the vocals are handled differently than on the rest of the album. Definitely one of the better albums that came in the wake of "OK Computer." I'd give "Svefn-g-englar" 5 stars but as an album it's just a 3 for me.

Very Radio Head like...good for background work music.

I didn’t listen to the whole thing, not really in the mood, but I still liked what I heard, mostly.

Weird, ethereal, otherworldly, and very mellow.

Banda i disc sobrevalorats per la seva magnificiència, que hom sembla haver deificat. És un bon disc, valent i original, però també repetitiu i a estones avorrit. Continua sent el millor disc de Sigur Ros, on van excel.lir amb la seva proposta, però per res una fita del rock alternatiu

Yeah alright, can't get that excited

This seemed to pass me by when it came out, did the same this time round too

Quite unusual. I'd expect in the right setting this would be quite cool. Just felt a bit odd listening in my office on a Monday morning.

listen

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Definitely! The most interesting record up to now, it’s got this lovely atmospheric tenderness to it and I could fully imagine this as the background of a silent movie (if that would work) delicate and provocative in the best way, even for a long run of an album Favourite song: Track 6 - Hjartaõ hamast (bamm bamm bamm)

3 220922

Music almost as strange as the album art. Good for work on TTT.... :P

Pretty good Icelandic Ambient music.

Very soothing. Probably gonna dig more into the artist. First Listen?: Y Fav. Tracks: Staràlfur Rating: 3/5

It could be the soundtrack for a sci-fi movie.