Reviews (page 3 of 15)
This was a fun listen. In the right mood I'd check them out again. 3.5/5
Swallowed me whole. If the previous album (Psychocandy) felt like trying to listen through a really bad case of tinnitus, or from underwater, or just behind a locked door, this album is pure sensory overload in the best way. Only reason it's not a 5 for now is there wasn't like, a singular moment that made me transcend or cry, but that's cause everything was a first time listen and I will absolutely be listening to this again. This is an album I can see myself listening to for basically any activity, road trips, writing, cooking, lying in bed too tired to get up. Maybe not going to the gym it's not exactly energising. but it's huge and dramatic and dense without feeling exhausting. Just a long deep dream. Standouts: I'll need to listen again to get some more clear favourites but the one that made me stop in my tracks and gave me a full body chill was Hjartað Hamast. This was partly because the chord progression from around the 3 minute mark onwards is piercingly, unbearably familiar and i KNOW it's not just a song I heard a couple of times somewhere but a dear favourite of mine I just cannot think of which song it is. I'm gonna go mad trying to find it. (EDIT: YOU KEEP ME HANGING ON!! oh thank god.) Staralfur also beautiful (that one I actually do think I've heard before, and also can't think where. Fine it's fine.)
Alright, I was very opponent to their music since their beginnings until this day. This is deep, emotional, sublime even, like a trip to frosty fairyland. Will listen more often.
Very difficult to enjoy this album very depressing soundscapes reminding me of barren desolate areas in the world which I'm sure Iceland has some of them.
This album completely caught me off guard. I didn't really know what to expect from it, to be honest... But then, whilst listening to the first track, which was strange but beautiful by the way, I thought I knew what I was in for. I thought I was going to be listening to an album of purely instrumental music. Which, to be fair, after hearing the first track, I wasn't too put off by. Then the vocals hit... and wow... they were beautiful. To me, they were just noise, but like that of a siren from Greek mythology, calling in the sailors. I didn't understand the language at all, and I'm still not too sure what language it even was, but somehow I was enthralled from start to finish. I have to say, the highlight for me in a lot of the tracks was the vocal lines, but I can't not mention the instrumental throughout. Favourites: Svefn-g-englar Flugufrelsarinn Hjarto hamast (bamm bamm bamm) Viorar vel loftarasa Olsen olsen
Decent, atmospheric, weirdy background music, which never really goes anywhere. Kept expecting the Clangers or Moomins to start singing at any point!
Good background music for a science museum, but not for me.
Best Song: Svefn-g-englar This is really mellow, doing the dishes or working music. That's really the only the use case I can see. Oh, banging! This would be good banging music!!! 4/5.
This is just bizzarro
Not heard much before from this band … only really Hoppípolla. Really liked it and will be listening to more 👍
While I get why some might like this record, it requires more from me than what it could ever give. The album is not bad by any means and it definetely manages to give me a very dreamlike feeling, but personally, I wouldn't listen to this piece: to me it's like background noise (NOT in an inherently negative way!) The whole time I was listening to the album I just couldn't stop waiting for something to happen (something that never did). It was very challenging to try to listen to such long tracks with minimal progression while staying engaged. I can't think of a single other reason to why the songs have to be so long, with so little substance other than the album being meant to be used as sleep aid.
어우 듣기 좋아 베스트: Svefn-g-englar
really like the vibes, very dreamlike and similar to what i listen to a lot at the moment. starting off with a banger. no partlicular favourite song, whole album is pleasant and easy listening. really nice vocals.
Errie af
I imagine that many a bride has walked down the isle to a Sigur Rós track. Within a single song you find beautiful, delicate and epic moments that certainly lend themselves to that. But this really feels like an album that needs a dedicated listen which I haven't ben able to give it and or that reason I will return at some point.
Radiohead but make it Icelandic. If I had a nickel for every Icelandic artist I’ve had to listen to for this project, I’d have 2 nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice now. I gotta say, the album art is pretty appropriate for this album, but man does it creep me the hell out. This entire album is just orchestral vibes and low key riffs. Admittedly, it took me a while to get into it. I feel like the singer kind of demands your attention, and it was hard to zone out to this while I was working, which felt antithetical to the point of the album, which is to kind of fade into the background. In that regard, some songs like “Svefn-g-englar” have repetitive moments of singing that I really don’t enjoy, and go on for longer than I’m comfortable with. Luckily though, that’s not present in most songs. Some songs even have moments of true greatness, like the tail end of “Ný batterí”. I wish the entire album was like that song to be honest. The buildup is remarkable, and by the time you get to the end of the song and it ramps up in intensity, it just feels pretty awesome. The middle portion of the album is my favorite. I already talked about “Ný batterí”, and I feel similar about the next song, “Hjartaỗ hamast (bamm bamm bamm)”, which ramps up in intensity as the song goes, while still managing to be orchestral and pretty throughout, starting simple but getting progressively more complicated and interesting as the song goes on, then literally imploding at the end. It’s a weird song, but pretty great. My favorite song on the album though is the next one after that, “Viðrar vel til loftárása”. It’s long, it’s pretty, and for the third time in a row the pattern continues of the song getting really good at the end. I understand build up, but so many songs on this album are like that, where it’s pretty slow at the start and then gets better at the end. I just wish we had more moments throughout the album where the entire song was like the end of the one prior from the beginning. Other than that, this album was pretty good in small doses. I didn’t listen to it all day, but still enjoyed my time with it well enough. It’s just weird enough to still be interesting and not concerning, and it’s different musically enough to be refreshing while doing a great job of avoiding being off-putting. You know, besides the album art, which still freaks me out. I don’t like it. Ok Iceland, giving you a 3 for this one. It’s pretty good and experimental, but I wouldn’t really want to personally return to it. I am glad I tried it out though. It was nice, and nice on the ears, and that’s all that really matters 🙂.
This one never really clicked for me, despite all the praise.
Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Starálfur Date listened: 23/06/26 Listen when: Evening while studying (with headphones !!) Again, when would I ever have listened to this otherwise? Some tracks were insanely beautiful. Svefn-g-englar threw me off at the beginning a bit (found it a bit jarring) but the orchestral arrangements were some of the best I've heard in non-classical albums.
A bit too experimental for me. It's not bad, it's just a lot.
Good for calm vibes, but not my favorite kind of music.
Today is probably the day that I needed the unbridled catharsis that this album provides and I am so thankful to the generator for that. This is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever conceived. 10/10 [KEEP]
I wish the 1001 had more albums that surprise me like this one did. I had it turned up to whole-house volume and during the Starálfur/Flugufrelsarrin transition, I went on my front porch to figure out where the noise was coming from. :-)
7/10 Best songs: Flugulfrelsarinn, Hjartað hamast My opinion about Sigur Rós has remained unchanged for over 20 years: enjoyable, incredibly creative, but largely background music. Don't get me wrong: this is background music at its very very best. It's background music when you want a chill, unearthly vibe. Unfortunately I have to be in the right state of mind to listen to this type of music, but it's certainly worth listening to. I just like my music with a little more oomph.
Honestly way better than I was expecting
I saw Sigur Ros just after this album came out, and thought then that they were good, but not as good as everyone else said they were. Labradford were far better that night. This album is ok, but revisiting it just reminded me that I have always thought they were overshadowed by their peers - GY!BE, Fly Pan Am, Labradford etc. And the vocals annoy me at times.
I came across the song Starálfur when I was around 13-14 in 2000. It was recommended to me by someone on an invite only chat forum which had sprung up from people meeting online from hanging out on the Silverchair message board “Chairboard” which was a part of Chairpage (one of the first successfully implemented band websites and communities on the internet - and a great example of how the internet was intended to be, before the marketing, algorithms, global domineering technocrats ruined things). I also came across my 24 slot Case Logic CD folder (with silver hand drawn doodles on the outside), and whaddya know, Ágætis Byrjun was one of the 29 (there were a few crammed loose in the back) albums in there, along with Sigur Ros’ next album ( ) I turn 40 next week, and this has been a mind trip through memories. Needless to say, I loved this album, and still do.
surprisingly vibey!
Really interesting dreamy icelandic dark rock. Worth another listen for sure
Isso aqui me fez ter um flashback da época de adolescente, onde minha vida girava em torno de descobrir bandas do mundo inteiro de diversas vertentes, e uma delas era o post-rock/shoegaze. Sigur Rós é uma banda que eu sempre ouvia falar e via em diversos lugares, sempre muito cultuada pelo pessoal e muito bem falada, mas que nunca tinha me causado vontade de ouvir. Minha primeira experiência foi uma agradável surpresa. Ou como o titulo de Ágætis Byrjun se traduz, 'um bom começo'. Não posso dizer muito liricamente pois as letras são todas em islandês, mas levando em consideração a tradução dos nomes, capa e título do disco, tudo remete ao nascimento, e posteriormente à luta pela adaptação, sobrevivência e as relações da vida. Pelo menos é aquilo que se sente. Já sonoramente esse disco é uma sopa de sentimentos.. É como se pudéssemos lembrar de como é ser um bebê tendo suas primeiras experiências de vida, mas também a turbulência daquilo que não se entende ainda, de uma forma bem cinematográfica. Os cânticos como se fossem canções de ninar de uma mãe para seu filho. A transição de uma música para outra é quase imperceptível, muito suave, assim como boa parte do play. Definitivamente um disco para se ouvir com a alma, em um lugar silencioso, que seja possível filtrar cada fragmento.
i love songs more than 5 minutes long i wish i knew what they were saying I love really ambient music like this, and long song have my heart
I got married to a sigur ros song and I put this album on at night to help my baby sleep. They such sweet, dorky, beautiful people and songs. I just want to curl up inside one and wear a thick Icelandic sweater. Sigur Ros is part of us all, a part of us all, a part of us all
Nöd mis aber eigentlich nöd schlecht Chli zu langwilig
Don't normally go for ambient music, but Sigur Ros makes interesting textures without forsaking melodies.
Gorgeous album with some incredible dreamy moments. A few of the songs go on a tad too long but it's a wonderful listen whether paying attention or on in the background. The Icelandic language works fantastically for the vocals. 8/10
Good background music
I like it it's nice.
Kinda weird and very chill, very slow. It's like Tcho got slower and worse.
wut
best track: ný batterí
Great ambient music. Can’t believe it took me this long to finally listen to Sigur Ros. A little breathy at times, which kills my misophonia. Otherwise loved it.
simply lovely
I am loving this and I am so relaxed
Beautiful
Once again, an audioexperience. Very drawn out, ballady songs and vocals, somewhat meditative in nature. Not sure if my cup of tea, but great to hear!
Great album. Icelandic and in the language but very good. Great vibe and ambient sounds and textures. Really enjoyed it.
Top 15 album for me.
Very chill. Not really fitting the 80 degree summer Sunday morning walk vibe
These folks are really good at what they do but for my ears this sounds more like a sleepy time playlist.
4 - I've listened to very little Sigur Rós, but I think I'm at a point in my life where I need to listen much more. I loved the vibes.
sfeer!
This one was tough for me to rate. The music was weird, dreamy, but beautiful too; really nice arrangements that gave the music a smooth tone that made me feel at ease. This isn't really music that should be listened to in the car, it's for headphones only. The negatives include song length (each track was 7-10 minutes long) and the obvious Icelandic language barrier. I'll give it a solid 3/5, it's good, I'm glad I listened to it, but it's a bit weird for my tastes and it's probably not something I'll be going back to
Groundbreaking, another album of ambient noise
While this for sure had gorgeous instrumentation, especially the strings, it did meander along a bit too much for me. While I might come back to the album as a whole if I'm really in the mood for it, I can't find myself coming back to the individual songs that much. The vocals left a lot to be desired too, and maybe part of that is just due to the different language that made it harder to connect with. 3/5
Ambieht guys (a lot of their music is blocked for me on yt music)
I wish I could understand the lyrics.
Unique for sure.
The album hits some really interesting moods. Like one that I think is cool is the transition into Viorar Vel til Loftrarasa (track 7). But I think the whole album is cool, if a bit long, but would you really want to rush this type of music?
Como me costo este album, creo q el autor del libro tiene una definición de dreampop diferente a la mia 4/10
Shout out to Sigur Rós, every middle/high schoolers first introduction to music that's "deep" and "not shallow like mainstream pop or whatever". Classic. I think this is the first instance of me enjoying something when I was younger and not liking it as much as an adult. Still easy listening though. 2.75 rounded down to 2. Favorite track: Hjartað Hamast (Bamm Bamm Bamm)
really calming and nice to listen to while I work. I love the album cover - flugufrelsarinn is giving twilight vides
instrumentals find ich gar nicht so schlecht nur teilweise irgendwie geigen oder was des is? die orchester elemente, aber die vocals sind net so meins nicht nur wegen der sprache ich find es passt auch einfach nicht so.
I didn't know that Jonsi was the lead singer of Sigur Ros, I didn't know that he played the electric guitar with a cello bow, but what I DID know was how much I am moved by their music. The ethereal soundscapes and the sweeping orchestration make this album a immersive listen. For me the rewards are in sitting and listening deliberately, on relatively good equipment, and without distraction. The album does lack a single stand out banger, such as Hoppipolla, but Svefn-g-Englar is as close as it comes, and its beautiful. 4 stars.
So many one-star reviews here, half from the meat-and-potatoes crowd, half from the too-cool-for-BBC-nature-doc-soundtracks crowd. If you're at either extreme of that spectrum, it's time to get over yourselves and drown in this bombastic, melancholy wonder - like, deep down, you know you want to.
This has a unique sound, but doesn't do all that much else with it. All the songs feel similar and it is hard to differentiate between them. Thankfully the cosmic vibe of that sound they crafted feels so different to anything else I have heard before. The closest band that I could compare this to is Radiohead, but even that is a massive stretch. Featuring intoxicating falsetto vocals alongside ambient soundscapes, this record feels other-worldly. The usage of strings allows the songs to build up to a triumphant crescendo. The record feeling one-note throughout its hour-plus runtime does drag it down, but I definitely think everyone should give this a try.
Woah. I want to lie in the deepest part of a ship in the pitch black on a rolling sea while this echos through the hull. Is it whales singing? Is it God? I'm on album 396 of this project. I've had all kinds of good, bad, and mediocre. This is only the 2nd album that absolutely devastated me right out of the gate. This well now be in my 5-star regular rotation.
Some of the sounds are quite cool. But it's not an album I would ever just put on. But I can appreciate some of what they were trying to do.
도저히 못 듣겠다. 너무 내 스타일이 아니다. 앨범 제킷은 흥미로웠는데 노래는 내 스타일이 아니었다. I can't hear it at all. It's not really my style. The album jacket was interesting, but the songs weren't my style.
I amvery happy I listened to this. There were some great textures and interesting tones. With that said I would never be in the mood to listen to this album. It never really takes off and makes me feel a little uneasy. This album was just ok.
Ah, voilà qui fait plaisir ! Je suis pas très fan de post-rock (en vrai, je n'y connais rien), mais j'adore Ágætis Byrjun ! C'est un album franchement apaisant, avec une musique très discrète, avec une personnalité énorme. Ágætis Byrjun est un peu bizarre (c'est le post-rock, je suppose) et ce, dans le meilleur sens du terme. C'est chanté soit en islandais, soit dans une langue inventée et je suis bien incapable de faire la différence entre les deux. Ma chanson préférée reste encore Olsen Olsen, qui commence sur un chant très éthéré, sur un air entêtant et apaisant (oui, je réemploie ce mot, mais j'y peux rien si c'est l'une des meilleures descriptions qu'on puisse en faire) avant, dans sa dernière moitié, s'emballer un peu sur des chœurs que j'irais presque qualifier de triomphants. Voilà un album qui a tout à fait sa place ici.
Voor tijdens het studeren
Honestly feel like if I listened to this enough, it could get up to a 4/5, but for now it's sitting in the middle of the pack for me. First time I ever listened to it (Months back), it would have easily been a two. It's chill to the point of kinda being boring, but this time around it's more chill to the point of being chill (lol). But what I'm wanting from this album is to really do something for me to hook onto really, and it's kinda defying that. Which, don't get me wrong, is to it's credit. But this album is feeling like the Icelandic Cocteau Twins, but the Cocteau Twins were laser focused and had hooks on Heaven or Los Vegas, whereas this one really doesn't. So yeah. Very good album. Just not something I am feeling at this moment in time. I suspect if I listen to it more, it'll click more and more though.
Never been able to get into them even though they were the rage when I was in college. Great background music but otherwise I’m not patient enough for them.
Droning mood music that had a couple of melodies and beats. Caught myself grooving once in a while so I’ll round up to three stars here.
Very slow and dreamy and quite liked it although very long. Certainly different
Background music with an edge? Soundtrack to a story I have not heard?
Funky as expected when you see an outlined baby and a blue background. Kind of rncapsulated what the womb might have been idk I don’t remember but nothing all the memorable anyway. The feeling of doing weeding in the yard while zoned out in 88 degree weather. Drink: have to go with an orange Gatorade. Touches elements of what you want but way better alternatives.
Slow romantic alien sex movie soundtrack with a sad ending that reminds you of the journey.
Listened while working I think I like this as much as ()
okay so i listened to this mostly in the shower so i didnt do individual ratings (also skipped through a little the songs are LONG) but i can say that this is an insanely cool album i dont think ive ever listened to anything like it really never really had any experiences with post rock and for a first one this is very very cool love the genre mixing and the instrumentals themselves are also very well thought out and executed also the vocals sometimes being used as instrumentals is perfect for this album not really my thing but i appreciate it i enjoyed it very cool experience overall movie soundtrackesque
This album is a revelation. Haunting and beautiful at the same time. An original way to play instruments and a unique voice over the top. The great tracks are front-loaded. The middle of the album does meander a bit but without losing the atmosphere.
Very interesting album!
First exposure to sigur ros. Ethereal music, and finally something fresh in this list full of white dad rock. Highlights: svefn-g-englar, vithrar vel til loftarasa
I can't speak Icelandic so I assumed this would not work for me at all. Turns out I was a fool. This is about an hour of really good music that I will fully admit I don't know what it means, but it still managed to go the distance for me. Honestly fantastic. I'd say may favorites were Svefn-g-englar, Ný batterí, Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm), and Olsen Olsen. This feels like an album you have to have nice headphones, also. I'm still not sure if you should listen intently, or zone out and have it as background noise. I guess that may depend on if you can speak Icelandic.
No notes.
Such beautiful music.
Another album that I wasn't sure I would like but I did. Not the kind of music that I would normally listen to but this was very engaging and Pink Floydish. Ear candy for the mind.
Nice road trip music!
Good road trip music
Just what I needed after a long day
(5/7) kind of vibe-y. Sometimes strange but sometimes very pleasant
Christ. That was long.
Really cool and interesting sound! The ambient noise reminded me of MBV enjoyed the kind of spooky/whiny vocals
This album sounds like if Kid A is a little more orchestral, Radiohead is Icelandic, and they make songs that are a bit more joyful. This was a wonderful listen and I would definitely revisit this album. I wish I could understand what they are saying.
HIGH 4!! Very ethereal ... it made me feel like i was being born and then transported onto the Polar Express.. I need this on vinyl!
Fascinating Icelandic music. Not really my style.
I haven't listened to this one all the way through in a long time. I remember how much I enjoy it. It was kind of different listening to it in the car though, as opposed to via headphones while lying down like I normally used to. Beautiful music
Makes me think
Amazing album, something you listen as a whole, not just one song, amazing atmosphere from beginning to end. I don't understand a word, but that doesn't really matter? 1. Svefn-g-englar 2. Olsen olsen 3. Starálfur
Great find! Exactly the sort of album I wanted to discover through this little hobby. Not my cup of tea tho
Ĉœøĺ
Love me a bit of Sigur Rós. This isn't my favourite album from them but this is still an absolute essential when it comes to post-rock music. Fantastic instrumental work on this with several stunningly beautiful compositions up and down this thing. I'm not too sure what's going on lyrically but Sigur Rós has never been a band that I go to for the lyrics anyway as the vocals basically just act as another instrument in the mix. I do think they would fully perfect this sound on their next album, but this is still great in its own right and deserves all of the praise that it gets. Favs: Svefn-g-englar, Starálfur, Ný batterí, Olsen olsen Least Fav: Hjartað hamast 9.4/10
Minner meg om Radioheads mer feely side, treffer ikke helt i dag, men jeg mistenker at etter flere gjennomlyttinger så blir det noe av det bedre!
Очень чувственный и мелодичный альбом, музыка запредельно транцсцендентальная, обеспечивает полный выход из тела, растворение в окружающем пространстве, диссоциацию сознания и единение с миром.
Beautiful and interesting while remaining relaxing.
didnt do it for me, too strange, i mean its something different, I get it, I get how this album got into the 1001, a few songs felt like the song at the end of a good movie, but hearing a whole album like that or worse wasnt for me,
Random pero me gustó, aparte el autor es fanático de boquita, crack total.
Qué linda que es la música. Lo empecé a escuchar de noche y, pese a que no entendía una palabra sentí que conecté mucho con cada canción y me encantaron, pero después la segunda mitad la escuché en el día, a otro ritmo y la experiencia fue otra cosa. Debe ser muy dificil ser crítico de música. ¿Cómo se puede juzgar algo en lo que lo personal influye tanto? No sé, lo que sí sé es que este álbum está muy bueno, no soy tan fan de las canciones de 10’, pero fuera de eso buenísimo.
Es un álbum bastante experimental, no me llevo a ningún lado inclusive quise escucharlo en algún momento yo de meditacion o en un ambiente neutro y no sentí ninguna sensación. Nada más para agregar sin haber buscado estoy seguro que esto viene de Europa del este, algo medio esloveno me suena. No hay top Picks
I thought I'd enjoy this more than I did.
Beautiful tracks. Reminded me of Radiohead.
interesting but needed more energy that day 5/10 Will I add this album to my library: no
Lyssnat lite på Sigur förut. Det är rätt najs, behagligt. Denna skiva innehåller kanske inte några superlåtar. Men en jämn nivå hela tiden.
Jag är ju svag för den här typen av drömlika atmosfär så detta föll mig helt i smaken. Svefn-g-englar sticker ut som den i särklass bästa låten och hade önskat ett par till av samma kaliber för ett högre betyg, men det är ändå genomgående bra och trivsam lyssning.
Started with the most unexpected, scaring and uplifting track I've heared in electronic music... Was so bummed that focus was lost soon after. Even if there were a few moments of pure quality throughout the album, buried here and there. I just wish it all would have been like first track
When to listen: rainy, cool day... which was actually the case here. Lit some candles, listened to the music and the rain outside. Really interesting album.
I just cannot figure out the context for when I would ever just listen to this. Pretty, good tracks for a movie that doesn't exist, maybe?
Starálfur
Amazing album from an essential band
Un de mes albums préférés de tous les temps. Ce que je resens en écoutant ça c'est indescriptible. Les émotions sont légendaires. Gros banger
Isländisch. Sphärisch.
svenfn-g-englar (intro) 1/10 svefn-g-englar 2/10 staralfur 2/10 flugufrelsarinn 3/10 ny batteri 3.5/10 hjartõ hsmst 3/10 viõrar vel til loftarasa 3/10 olsen olsen 2.5/10 agaetis byrjun 3/10 avalon 4/10 intro oli turha ja liian hiljane, toka biisi oli ihan liian toistuva ja laulajan ääni on huono liian useassa kohdassa, kitara kohta ainoo hyvä kohta ja mikä toi loppu oli. kolmas biisi taas tosi heikko ainoot ja kohat josta tykkäsin oli viulukohat, mut toi biisi kuulosti ihan liikaa samsungin herätysäänelt ja toi lopus oleva demoniääni taas. okei 4. biisi ihan okei, sillti heikko mut parempi ku edelliset. 5. ihan ok kitara oli hyvä. 6. biisi melkei 4/10 mut toi loppu taas pilas sen ihan kokonaan. 7. alku ihan hirvee taas eikä sovi mun mielest toho biisiin muuten ihan siedettävä mut MIKS VITUS SE ON NOIN PITKÄ NIINKU EHK 2 MIN MAX 4MIN MUT 10MIN. 8. ihana kitara ja musiikki mut toi laulu on heikkoa vittu mitä oopperaa. 9. taas ihana musikki joka pilattii huonol laulul niinku en mä varmaa paremmi osais mut mun taidoil mentäis jo lähellle ja se kertoo paljo. 10. ehk paras biisi ihan vaa siks ku siit tuli hyvä tunnelma eikä siin ollu laulua. mut muuten suoraan sanoen paska albumi, niinku joillekki hyvä mut toi laulu oli huonoa, biisien loput tosi outoi, jotkut biisit kuulosti silt et ne ei kuuluis tähä albumiin ja SE KUINKA VITUN PITKIÄ NOI OLI. niinku mä uskon et tää oli vaa mun rage baittaust.
Really enjoyed this. Have never taken the time to listen to this band but now I’m wondering why I waited Playlist add: "Olsen olsen"
5/10 Fun, if a little slow for my tastes.
very soundtracky, great songs with terrible endings making them kinda unlistenable in a playlist way. Good background music. Great album art, bringing this to a pro life protest for sure.
Xa escoitara algo deste grupo pero que discazo, venme xenial pa ter de fondo mentres traballo/deseño cousas.
I used to own one record by Sigur Ros that I liked a lot. I think it was Takk...I don't remember. But I remember I liked it a good deal. So, I was kind of excited to hear this one now. I still like Sigur Ros, but I find it's better to let go of any notion that they operate like a rock band. It's basically chamber music. It's really soothing and atmospheric, sometimes lacking any real movement or climax, but it is usually pretty. I could sometimes do without the repetition, and I don't always love the singer. But as a whole, it's pretty enjoyable, particularly in the background of whatever else I'm doing. I don't know that it's something that I'll listen to on repeat, but as "study music", it's great. 7.5/10
Seeing Sigur Ros live was one of the most transcendent experiences of my life.
Cool for 5 minutes. Not for 1 hour
Maybe in another dimension
Dreamy and atmospheric but not my thing. Music to fall asleep to
Agates Byrjun is a very strange album and I think that is what makes it good. There are some parts of this album that are low while there are others that scream to the highest mountains. I'm torn on this album because I know it is good but I just don't know if it's for me. Fav song: Staralfur Least fav: Avalon
This was good. There were a lot of neat hills and valleys in the dynamics of the songs. I actually liked that the lyrics were in this band's made-up language, it allowed me to hear the vocal line as another instrument and not be distracted by it. Not something I would put on as like an emotional release or in my day-to-day, but this is good background reading music.
Really moving, pure beauty
It sounded great, but it’s not for my taste.
What an album! - Where to start. First off, this style of music is right up my alley, so this was a pleasant listening experience, it somehow felt familiar but brand new during active listening, impressive considering this album is from 99'. I was intrigued at the usage of different styles and moods with the composition, I understand nothing lyrically from this album due to the language barrier present between myself and the authors, but that does not shake the fact that this is a very well thought out experimentative album that blends the bridges of similarity between our worlds without drowning out the uniqueness that envelops the sound Best song - Svefn-G-Englar
too sweer
I remember how different Sigur Rós seemed from everything else I had been listening to when I first heard them. It is still pretty wonderful that a band from Iceland managed to get heard where I live. I have since heard Jónsi by himself and as a collaborator, and he is an interesting musician.
For the first six tracks (well, technically five if you don’t count the one-minute ambient intro) this seems like a singular, unclassifiable masterpiece, one of the greatest albums ever made, but once track 7 rolls around with its over-the-top string section and hyper-sentimental melody it’s like you snap out of your trance and realize that it’s all been actually somewhat manipulative, shallow, etc. Track 8 brings it up to standard again, but 9 and 10 (I’m not typing out these names) are the worst tracks on the record, boring and tedious. Advice to rock groups: do not put your weakest tracks near the end of an album. Still, that first half – man! People went insane over this record when it finally came out in the U.S. two years later, they’d never heard anything like it (I vividly remember), and, at least for the first half, it was all justified. Best track: “Flugufrelsarinn”
Original and immersive
I connected to this artist the way Navi's connect to the Tree of Souls. Biggest find so far via this generator. Bless
Amazing!!!!!!!!
Perché et planant, pas ma came
C’est plutôt joli En ambiance
J'ai trouvé ça très sympa, un peu ambiance, super en fond pour travailler
Lenge vært en favoritt dette, men var nok hakket mer hekta på denne for ~10 år siden.
Ganske avslappande og fint. Litt andre instrument innimellom enn det eg høyrer på til vanleg.
Veldig flott
dreamy in parts, powerful and moving
tunnelmallinen levy ja niin makeita saundeja
Very different, Norwegian vibes, atmospheric, happy memories
i liked this
Beautiful haunting desolate (of its home). Svefn-g-englar, staralfur, viorar, Olsen Olsen - all stunning. An album only overshadowed because the later Takk was even better.
wooww
8/10 Excellent music if you like the feeling of dissociating and entering higher state of mind. Not my jam, but I admire the artistry
Released on 12 June 1999. Genre: Dream Pop, Ambient, Chamber Pop I didn’t enjoy the vocals that much; they felt high-pitched.
This is a beautiful album! I really enjoyed!
This should be right up my alley, but didn't connect with a lot of it.
This album is really glazed, not my thing personally but I can see how someone would enjoy this. You can really get lost in this album, kind of feels like you're in one of those documentaries about glaciers or something. The made up singing adds an otherwordly element to this album as well. May need to relisten, but it was a bit of a sleep inducer at times and the runtime is beefy.
The problem with Sigur Ros isn't that the music isn't good, it's that I don't know when I would listen to it. I don't think I live a down tempo electronic atmospheric life. Maybe I'm more of a sad trombone instrumental
I think theres better Sigur Ros albums, enjoyed it nonetheless
Simply a gorgeous album. Another reminder that music can communicate beyond language.
Fantastic. The emotional impact of this is incredible.
This cinematic, slow vibe has been done to death recently, but you cant fault SR for being at the forefront of it. Beautiful, stirring work. Currently on a 4 because it's ephemeral rather than memorable, but may revisit that.
It's good but it didn't really click for me
Quite droney at times. I can imagine these songs backing a dramatic scene in a movie, but it's not the sort of music I generally like on its own
ethereal, sensational, I wanna trip on shrooms to this album;
Since I don't understand Icelandic, I have to treat the vocals as an instrument in my brain. It is haunting until the repetitive nature of the lyrics goes over my repetition threshold and than I start to chimp and have to next it. I've run into a couple of the songs in the wild, but this isn't my thing.
Would go reeeeeally well with a warm bed, a mild flu, and a bottle of nyquil. That's not necessarily an insult. 4 stars.
This is a big bottle of nostalgia. Ny batteri was to me for a very long time nearly the most perfect song. Staralfur is epic always, always. Latter half of the album was sleepier than I remember. Nonetheless, this band is something else.
Would've liked it even more without any words at all
Vibes
I once drove through what felt like an interstellar landscape in Iceland listening to this album and everything fell into place.
Really atmospheric/melancholic thoroughly enjoyed it
I had listened to some of this album previously and wasn't impressed. Upon second listen, it's such an interesting, moody project. 3.5/5
I could stargaze and listen to this for hours
Sigur Ros has been on my radar forever, thanks to always appearing on music lists I read and seemingly being aligned with the sort of music I like. But until today, I don't believe I have ever knowingly heard a single note of their music. Well, this was very good. I'm not sure it was 5 star good on my first listen, and it's clearly a weighty album which demands multiple listens, which I have not yet managed. But most of it will be added to my 1001 car playlist, which bodes well for the future.
At times I found this album super interesting, and other times really dull. Not much more for me to say on this one
First time listening to a full Sigur Ros album and it won't be my last
ethereal
Cold and somewhat pretentious, still, this is what I wished Radiohead sounded like
I started this journey specifically for music like this. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and listen to music from a band maybe I don't know and hopefully like it. Sadly I did not care for this at all. It's like concentration music. Wikipedia says the drummer left right after this album was recorded. Is that because he had next to no work to do? I did like Ágaetis byrjun though
A beautiful, ethereal album. Sit back and enjoy, while you're taken to outer space. 4.2/5.
Was okay. Good background music, I don't mint ambient music but this was a little lacking and quiet. But still, a light 3.
The Scandinavian version of Massive Attack. Are those song titles or IKEA catalog items? There’s no way to know. But it’s got a cool vibe.
Por estos discos hago este reto.
More or less exactly what I expected from Sigur Ros. Not as weird as Von, not as dreamy as Takk..., in-between. Pretty good, I liked it but I didn't love it.
esse álbum mudou alguma coisa no meu cérebro
Melancholy
Not mine
Wow. I saw the artist, and for some reason thought death metal. Boy was I wrong. This it ambient made grand. Music that lets you just float along and be, not demanding that you understand it or try to decipher it. This was such a strange, beautiful journey. My Rating: 5/5
Interesting. Felt like I was in a world of unknown but I knew it at the same time. Felt like this is something can recognise on more on a deeper level and I know people will feel it. I feel like I’m watching the northern lights. It feels like I’m listening to radio head. I felt transported by the melodies.
Top five flying through my spaceship through an alien ice planet album
Liked this group a lot, esp their full ambient records
Melhor do que esperava. Parece interlúdio de músicas do pink Floyd
Usually when I'm really excited about an album, I begin my review by typing out a memorable lyric. That'll be hard to do for this one. Unless I go TJUUUUUUUUUUUUU, TJUUUUUUUUUUUU I love this Icelandic nonsense. I love how it sounds boyish and innocent, as well as massively ambitious. I love its occasionally cheesy chord progressions, as if the octet is playing on my actual heartstrings. I love the unorthodox percussion that is sometimes there and sometimes not but it is always at the perfect time. It's beautiful. It's occasionally horrific. I love the shots of noise between songs that last just long enough to blend into the identity of the song itself. I love the loose narrative of a child being born, a new life, starting over, that can actually be applied to the band themselves making this album after a debut that kinda sucked. I love the anthemic melody of Olsen Olsen, a song which I can only assume is about Mary-Kate and Ashley. I love the title of the track afterwards, which loosely translates to "good weather for airstrikes." That's such a kickass sentence. And it fits the music! It's grand and epic like a gorgeous sunny day, but that leaves you vulnerable. It disarms you. It makes you weak. Sigur Ros has a fantastic sound across their whole career. If this list is just about hearing albums that are good, you could put a lot of their discography on here. But realistically, Ágætis Byrjun is the only one that warrants inclusions on this list. Later on in their career, their brand of post-rock became more accessible, less experimental. That's only because this album stuck the landing. Albums like Takk... are big and beautiful, sure, but in a way they're end up being less ambitious. Because the band knew it was going to work. This album was a massive leap of faith, a hyperextension into a new realm of post-rock that is more personal, timid, quieter and yet more explosive than ever before. And it worked. Oh yeah, and it's super Radiohead sometimes.
Has not aged well
its good technically, but to me it was lowkey boring...
8.5/10 - Really impressed by this album. Not speaking Icelandic does not detract from the beauty and feelings of the album. Stunning!
Absolutely stunning album, every time I listen to this it grows on me. A 70 minute run time doesn't feel too long at all. 9/10
I am incredibly over due to listen to Sigur Rós, let alone their magnum opus Ágætis Byrjun (I totally did not just copy and past that). Ágætis Byrjun heats up in the early middle part of the album then it goes for a ride. Much like the Icelandic language, it's hard to describe but it's really good.
Atmospheric sounds, finally! Bit repetitive, but great symphony
Не понимаю, почему все в группе так засрали этот альбом, по мне очень приятная музыка с узнаваемым стилем и голосом и душевными мелодиями.
Исландцы сверхлюди
Мясо
Какая же прекрасная музыка, я не можу. Реально музыка (исландских) богов. Очень подходящий вайб под нынешнюю московскую погоду. Один из моих любимых построк альбомов, точно входит в топ 3
научился легко их узнавать, но любить их не научился, для фона ок - 3
Not very exciting nor interesting. Ok to listen to once, but that’s about it. 2/5
Not for me, but can appreciate a lot of the music, like the instruments on tracks 4,5,7.
What even is this? Svefn-g-englar basically sounds like she's saying "eat you" over and over. Flugufrelsarinn had a nice chill vibe. The rest of the album didn't really do much. Best song: Flugufrelsarinn
nah
Cinematic Icelandic post-rock, or, as I like to call it, Reydjöhed. A pretty beautiful collection of music that’s just warm and inviting enough to then unsettle and challenge in all the right ways.
Fantastic album, this one is a keeper
Standouts Staralfur Ny batteri
Although I have listened before, it can only be once or twice so I’m still getting to know it and I feel there is way more depth to explore, including apparently a concept that would require reading the English translation whilst listening to understand what’s going on (unless you know Icelandic). I can understand why some wouldn’t have the patience for this, or how it could be overlooked after a first listen but it’s other worldly, ethereal feel really landed with me today, and across multiple tracks. Starálfur is the one I know best thanks to its appearance at the end of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and is the track that I have dipped into the album for previously but I unearthed some gems today, although the album is best enjoyed in its entirety.
One of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard
I did find some elements grating, but overall enjoyed the atmospheric vibes.
Icelandic fairy music. However I am neither Icelandic nor a fairy
I've enjoyed some Sigur Ros before and this was no different. Good relaxing/working music.
Cool sound. Really sounds like they inspired Radiohead 7/10
La verdad que no entiendo a los Islandeses, tienen música muy rara, es aburrida, extraña, no me gustó para nada...
Some beautiful deep ocean kind of textures going on here, sort of like Sea Change expanded out. I really liked "Viorar vel til loftarasa." I'm not sure I'll ever listen to it again but maybe if I'm ever taking psychedelics in Iceland or something I'll give it another go
A post rock classic. This album is incredibly magnetic and paints a vivid cold atmosphere. It does require attention tho.
Stunning. Didn’t think much would match Takk. Great album. 5.
I'm torn on this, because I quite enjoyed the album but... I don't know, it's too sunny outside. This isn't a sunny album too me. Lots of great songs, just a mismatched vibe.
Its ight
Very Etheral album. I loved the orchestral instrumentals and want to continue checking this album out
I had never heard of these guys. It was relaxing and pleasant. I could listen for sure while working on something. Maybe a bit on the boring side, though.
AMAZING. 10/10. So much ambience in each heartfelt track.
it was good background music
No comparto con algunas otras opiniones que leí en esta página en que esto es buena "música de fondo" pero que no es algo para sentarse a escuchar. Siendo un primer acercamiento al Post-Rock me pareció sencillamente excelente. Creo firmemente que es un album para sentarse y disfrutar con unos buenos auriculares sin hacer nada mas. Uno podría pensar que un album entero de música mas del estilo "ambient" o post-rock puede ser repetitivo o cansador, pero no hay nada mas alejado de la realidad. Se pueden apreciar los distintos matices, sonidos, intensidades, arreglos, etc., en cada canción; y todo eso sumado a una "espiritualidad" en la que te sumerge, como en una especie de trance que el ambiente genera. Mi puntaje sincero es que es un album de 84/100 puntos.
Okay. I was wondering if this was going to be too down-tempo for me, but this is a whole atmosphere at once. Strangely gorgeous, haunting and epic and such. I hadn't realized it was this band on the Life Aquatic. I'm not sure what context I would find myself saying, "Ya know, I wanna listen to that Sugar Rus" (not at all sure on pronunciation, and aware.that's not how it's spelled) Glad I listened, don't know that I'll ever seek it out. Great cover too.
Die isländische Band Sigur Rós aus Reykjavík nahm ihr zweites Album zwischen Sommer 1998 und Frühjahr 1999 gemeinsam mit Produzent Ken Thomas im bandeigenen Studio Sundlaugin im Mosfellsbær, einer kleinen Gemeinde nahe Reykjavík, auf. Erschienen auf dem Reykjavíker Independent-Label Smekkleysa, verankert Ágætis Byrjun – auf Deutsch etwa „Ein recht guter Start" – die Band im internationalen Post-Rock-Diskurs, ohne sich je wirklich darin einrichten zu wollen. Die Platte markiert einen radikalen Neuanfang gegenüber dem Debüt Von: Wo zuvor diffuse Ambientsketches dominierten, tritt nun ein durchkomponiertes Orchesterpanoptikum in den Vordergrund, getragen von Frontmann Jónsi Birgissons mit dem Cellobogen gespielter Gitarre und einem doppelten Streichoktett. Die bekanntesten Stücke des Albums – das hypnotisch kreisende „Svefn-g-englar", das breit angelegte „Ny Batteri" und das titelgebende Abschlussstück „Ágætis Byrjun" – demonstrieren eine emotionale Dynamik, die zwischen zerbrechlicher Stille und orchestralem Ausbruch pendelt. Jónsi singt teils auf Isländisch, teils in der von ihm erfundenen Kunstsprache Vonlenska, die jeden Bedeutungshorizont offenhält und das Hörerlebnis in eine seltsam universelle Melancholie taucht. „Olsen Olsen" und „Ára bátur" runden eine außergewöhnlich kohärente Tracklist ab, die keine Lücke, keinen Leerlauf kennt. Ágætis Byrjun erschien in Island zunächst fast unbemerkt, bevor es über FatCat Records in Großbritannien (2000) und später in Nordamerika internationale Aufmerksamkeit erlangte und auf zahlreichen Jahrzehnt-Bestenlisten landete. Das Album steht für jene seltene Übereinstimmung von Ort, Zeit und Klang: Die isländische Landschaft scheint in jeder Frequenz zu resonieren, ohne je zur Kulisse zu werden. Ágætis Byrjun ist eines der wenigen Alben, das tatsächlich so klingt, wie sich Stille anfühlen würde, wenn sie Form annähme.
Me costó mucho escuchar el álbum y solamente llegué a la segunda canción ya que transmite una tristeza imponente. Puede tener muy buenas reseñas, pero por mi parte me bajé del barco muy rápido.
Not for me
I kinda wanted to dislike it. This was the music a lot of rich kids from my hometown listened to in high school and I actively avoided it since. The first listen strengthened my feelings that yeah it’s this hipster kind of music that I do not like. But then I listened again and again, the third time on headphones and I have to concede that it’s pretty good. Oops
förstår inte varför men 5%5
a very well done album if this is your thing
I couldn't understand any of the lyrics. I actually noticed the album ended when I heard English. But I enjoyed this well enough, despite it being slow. It was tranquil and the vocal sounds fit it well.
They're Icelandic, so I expected ‘different,’ but this band was surprising. It was like a good wine - lush, complex, and best when you let it breathe.
This was an amazing journey turned up loud I didn't want to end.
I'm rating this 3 stars. But that is because 3 is the average of all possible ratings. This album is the one of the most mood and song-to-song dependent albums I've ever heard. If I'm in the right mood and listening to the right songs, this is an easy 5. Wrong mood and wrong songs? 1 star is being generous.
Okay!
I had a good time listening to this album. I didn’t understand any of the lyrics but the vocals were great and so was the instrumentation. Maybe gets a little slow in the 2nd half but not enough to make it bad. Fav song is Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása, least fav is Ágætis byrjun.
This Icelandic album that I don't know how to say or even type is a solid one. It's very dream poppy, which means it's very atmospheric and quite peaceful. It's instrumentation is quite sparse in parts of the album. It also has quite colourful arrangements on top of that, which I adore; they never fail to be excellent. I could find myself returning to enjoy the solitude this album emits. Highlight Song/s: "Starálfur" and "Ný batterí"
this been on my list for a while excited to check it out them icelandic mf know how to make some good ass music on bro
This would be cool background music, also probably pretty good on acid. Just for listening to while driving though it just didn’t do it for me.
3.5/5
3.5
7.0/10
Some interesting and unique sounds. Has a cool vibe but I’m not sure I’m the target audience for Icelandic post rock
This was just plain stunning
I went to the gym today!... for the first time in several months, if not a year. It’s in the basement of my apartment building, which at times has become more of a taunt than a convenience, due to my un-fondness for traditional workout methods. I defend this by saying I prefer to enjoy my exercise, although as a result I don’t get much of it at all. I went down at around 2pm, and began by struggling with one of the lightest weights on some machine I don’t know the name of. “Pectoral fly” I believe it was labeled. In my wired Apple earbuds played the last few songs of Europa’s new album, LAgoon. I oscillated between feelings of positive appraisal and mild ambivalence (significantly due to my own mood). My official opinion on the album goes beyond that, of course, but that’s for another time. Next on queue was the first song of Sigur Rós’ Ágætis byrjun. I recently subscribed to a newsletter which I have found to be very effective in classic album discovery, an interest that has re-arisen in me recently. This morning (I’m assuming, although I slept through til the late afternoon), I received an email suggesting that I listen to the record. I can’t say I was particularly intrigued, but I was curious to get a taste of the elusive Sigur Rós. Elusive is probably the wrong word to describe the group, although I think in relation to my experience it is pretty fitting. The name Sigur Rós exists in some dusty compartment of my brain’s memory sector, where at some point it must have been placed, but the origins of this familiarity have long since faded. If you had asked me yesterday who Sigur Rós is, I’d probably say he was some philosopher, or the fictional main character from an old novel I’ve never read. However, as Europa’s LAgoon came to a close, I was formally introduced. Looking back now, the first track didn’t particularly capture me, but I didn’t skip it either. It was undoubtedly pleasant, composed of ornately twisted audio chops that more so became a backing track to whatever the hell I was thinking about. The second track is where I began to actively listen to the music playing in my ears. I still don’t quite get how earbuds can achieve such high quality at such a low volume. To me, it’s similar to the puzzle of how records can replay a full range song/recording just with varying grooves. What I heard on the second track was a kind of organic, shoegaze-y bliss, that made everything else I’ve heard [in the shoegaze “genre”] sound like a shitty attempt at replicating it (if you are a shoegaze-lover, pmo, :) I don’t mean to hate). This track, along with the rest of the record, exudes something that is ethereal and atmospheric, while still retaining anchoring to earth. It doesn’t feel like you’re in space or in some foreign universe, but it’s as if you can float, softly jumping 20 feet in the air and gliding gently back down to the earth’s surface. Much like the blindfolded creation of a stew, while its inspirations are at times unclear, the resulting music feels like a composite of infinite cultural influences. Similarities could be drawn to Brian Eno in this manner. The vocals, which are often near the low level of a whisper, usually consist either of a choir or a single voice. Somehow, through the inherent emotional weight of the composition, the choir feels as if it represents an international world choir, while the solo voices feel like you are being spoken to by a kind-hearted, non-arrogant guru. The whole project is layered with a diverse array of field recordings – nature noise, chatter, electronic mechanics – unidentifiable in terms of time period. The instruments, while likely recorded in a more traditional setting, have been processed in a way where one might also mistakenly categorize them as field recordings. The guitar is harsh in distortion, yet pleasant to the ears, downsampled and filtered. It seems to desire power, but is oriented in an existential environment which renders it harmless. The piano and pluck-y elements are similarly mixed, however this time the processing has a different effect. The contextualized atmosphere turns the piano’s natural sadness into a bittersweet kind of beauty. As I listened to the album, I felt like I was being spoken to by some wise uncle or distant brother. Keep in mind that at this point I had assumed that Sigur Rós was one man, and for some reason, that this album was probably dated in 1988. After I was done working out (which I generously will say lasted 30 minutes), I was torn away by a scheduled production session with a person I’ve been somewhat neglecting. Given it’s my final semester of college in New York, I have a good amount of tasks that hold a higher priority in order for me to graduate. After I prematurely capped the session at 9pm, I was eager to get back to the album, and did so while I cooked up some skinny bitch’s fried rice from Trader Joe’s. One of the core themes throughout this album is its timelessness. If this record was released today, it would blow every pop icon and convoluted underground artist out of the water. One might also, reasonably so, assume that the album was created anywhere in the mid-late 1900s, given its simplicity and restraint. It makes sense then that the real year of release was 1999, a year symbolic of large-scale cultural evolution. Both in the music and in the visual representation, the group emphasizes a unique strain of nostalgia. Typically, when people reference nostalgia, there is a distinction between fond memory or yearning, gratefulness or a bittersweet taste. In their expression they somehow encompass it all. You know that feeling when you are overwhelmed with emotion so much that your brain doesn’t know what to pick? You feel like laughing, yelling, punching, crying, screaming, running– all at once. It is an extremely rare experience and one that, in turn, is both enjoyable and painful. For me, this feeling arises most often with music, although that is not to say it happens often at all (if I had to guess 1x/1-2 years). Now, I’m getting ahead of myself, as my listening did not evoke one of these moments for me, but the general emotional theme of the album can be described by this existential, timeless, undefinable catharsis in simultaneously experiencing all of the beauties and tragedies of life. I am grateful for my fake fried rice, my Temu ice machine, my pillow, and for not understanding. If you got this far I am happy to be sharing with you. Please let me know what you think about the album, or about how I can improve my writing:). Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun 10/10
This album hovers between a 3 and 4 for me. The music production is good, and I can really get into it if I'm in the mood for a slow burn. The Icelandic lyrics are a challenge, especially if there's a story in there that I'm supposed to be enriched to discover.
Enjoyed it.
holy shit this album feels like it's 3 hours long. for some reason supplementing my post rock with icelandic vocals is not what i want. still though, generally a positive vibey experience. 10 minutes of scenic droning lends itself to a few of those bright little contrasting spots of intensity or cool little musical moments that i just eat up. i think my favorite is probably Ny batterí
Rating: 8/10 Gorgeous ambient waves of post-rock bliss, like you're floating. They create a beautiful soundscape that you can love even not understanding the words, which makes me realize that I've never ACTUALLY dived in to the lyricism of this album. I'll have to change that next time I listen
The album teetered between cheesy and cool af the whole time for me. It almost won me over by the end, and I don't think a single listen is enough to appreciate the artsy depth of it. I'm down to listen to this one again in the future, but for now it was a decent 6.7/10
shit was ass
Such a beautiful album
As always, I applaud the effort to include a variety of musical styles on the list of 1001 albums. This album, though, is a long, slow slog. Maybe it would be tremendously uplifting or something if I spoke Icelandic?
Absolute dog water. Never heard anything so bad.
Very interesting stuff, pondering will be done
Movie music. Really good movie music. 4/5.
I mean, ok
The positive: I now know how Sigur Ros sound - the negative: the album was almost unbearably boring.
Long time since I've listened to this
Another album ruined by the Tower of Babel. Musically, this is (somewhat) fine as an (overlong) ambience, but I strongly suspect the lyrics are critical to the experience; so, without a translation, this sadly falls flatter than the aforementioned tower.
I think it’s safe to say I would have liked this better if I understood the words. I liked it well enough without.
Not my thing Great for a movie
Album #73, Sigur Rós, Ágætis byrjun, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a beautiful album. I never listened to Sigur Rós, despite them being pretty massive on the festival circuit when I was going to festivals all the time. I never once went to see them. That’s a shame, because I would have loved this when I was younger. I suppose today is the next best time to hear them. If you’ve never been to Iceland, I highly recommend it. But if you can’t go, this album is the next best thing. This literally sounds like what Iceland looks like. Monolithic landscapes, slow pace, violent weather. Totally beautiful. For me, I only really care about how music sounds. I don’t care too much about the technical side of music making. If a sound moves me, I genuinely don’t care how it was created. So post rock should be right up my alley, as it’s all about that. I like post rock, but I wouldn’t be an aficionado. Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden would be one of my favourite albums, and any time Mogwai comes on, I tend to love it, but that’s probably not scratching the surface. This is, for the most part, right up my alley too. I’ve rarely heard an album that starts as well as this. The first 35 minutes or so are incredible. It’s genuinely stunning. But it does lose me a little bit towards the end. As can happen with this genre, it’s too long. It gets its point across early enough and I feel like it runs out of ideas near the end. But it is a stunner of an album, and a slightly edited version would have been an easy five. As it is, it can feel a bit bloated and a bit daunting to come back to, so for that reason it’s a four.
Bardzo dobry album, potrzebuje jeszcze raz być przesłuchanym
good to put on in the background
Wat de knakkerbrood is dit.
espectacular música ambiental, no es para todos los días ni todos los moods pero en general muy bien
This takes me back to my college years, where so many of my friends found sigur ros. Wasn’t for me back then, but I’ve gained an appreciation for what they do over time. I really like that, knowing zero words in Icelandic, I can just treat to vocals as part of the music. Calming, chill album, just great.
I did not enjoy this.
meh
Ass
muy flashero para mí ahre, la verdad es que no me gusta mucho pero no esta nada mal
Original et sympatique
Background music
5 on mushrooms, 2 or 3 sober
Dbdbvv dudicin rris dudinn waxjick. Translation: you can’t translate a fake language
Emocionalmente reflexivo, es un disco que tienes que escuchar si estás teniendo un momento de introspeccion
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Had always heard good things, but was hesitant to dive in. These songs are hauntingly beautiful. Excited to hear more of their stuff. 5/5
I know this is a great album, I’m not in the mood for this today
I really love this album. It's very dreamlike and I feel as though I'm floating in space when I'm listening to it. Not the cold, empty, lonely space, but more of the moon and shooting star kind of space. Favourites: Svefn-g-englar Flugufrelsarinn Ny Batterí
ja nwm o chuj tu chodzi ostatnio cos nie trafiaja w moje klimaty mroczne dzwieki
This was a trip. Loved it
Interesting
I qyiite like a lot of Sigur Ros’s music. It’s ethereal relaxing quality felt like the perfect accompaniment to the drive round the m25 and back north. It certainly started that way, however as the album went on it just got a bit boring and slightly irritating
I simply cannot count the ways this album was not for me. It was too long. Went nowhere. Sounded the same. Nope.
The dreaded "open an album, see the length, feel your heart drop" issue. The problem with making an album that's 1 hour, 11 minutes, is that you REALLY have to enjoy the artist to not get fed up of it. They don't half drone on, eh? It's pretty, but also repetitive. And in parts beautiful, but also soooooo long. I feel like I should like it, but 1 have no intention of ever listening to it again. Just not for me... 2/5
Found this band boring when my friends were crazy about them. Hoped to liked it better now because maturity but it didn't happen.
This is what Radiohead would sound like if Bjork was the lead singer. And I don’t say this in a good way. This was a struggle to get through.
i expected to like this significantly more than i did. it's 70 minutes of wandering ambient string orchestration which blurs together like it's a single long track. you'd think this would be more up my alley given my appreciation of strings, but i don't know. perhaps in a different mood i might've felt different but for how much focus i felt was demanded by the album, it didn't quite hold me. it has its moments (though it's difficult to pinpoint them given the structure), but no point in this really hooked me. i think an album like this requires a really particular headspace to get full enjoyment out of, and a good flac instead of streaming compression.
Ah the kinda spacey post-rock music that all my deeper-into-music-friends loved and I derisively hated as a teen. Boring, samey, pretentious, artsy bullshit- all terms I have used to describe Sigur Rós and their ilk. If I could go back in time I'd punch that punkass kid. Ethereal, expansive, and meditative. I could throw more descriptors out their forever because that's what this album is an emblem of, a vibe. A beautiful journey that held me everytime the music began to swell. This is one of those rare albums where the songs blurring into one another feels cohesive rather than repetitive, and I honestly couldn't choose a favorite song as a result. Though the songs did not all need to be so long, but I'll let them slide.
Molto bello e interessante nella prima parte, ma dalla seconda metà in poi l’ho trovato eccessivamente triste
Bello ma tuttodi fila è troppo per me, ma resta il fatto che questi devono essere bravi per essere diventati famosi nonostante cantino in islandese
The synth-heavy minimalist crooning style is worth a listen, but the occasional string sections feel like cloying Beatles references and the fricative, glottal Icelandic doesn't mesh well with the whisper-thin vocals. Maybe a more melodic Latin or Arabic language would fit better.