Reviews (page 6 of 15)
Ethereal. Beautiful. A little too long.
One of my favourites
Interesting, mostly background music. Its well performed but isn't something I would actively listen to. Svefn-g-englar sounded familiar, but I can't place it. I might come back to this as some calming work music.
As an instrumental, I would have liked this album much more. The vocals are grating to me. Since they're in a language I don't speak and that hits my ear in an assaulting way, I just can't get by it. Things picked up for me in the last 3rd of the album ⭐⭐.5
I didn't really connect to it like the commentators did. I liked the ambience but I just wasn't my taste. It's mostly music to just concentrate to or study to. I will save it for those occasions.
I guess it’s ok. Kind of like Bon Iver meets Band Of Horses. Could have trimmed a little off that run time. I also have no idea what this dude was singing about, but my guess is something sleepy 🥱
Beautiful, pretty, whatever the most masculine way to say it, songs. Even having no idea what they are saying, you can get lost in the music. Anybody else want to re-watch Vanilla Sky?
Nice album. Not sure I'd want to listen to it all the time. The language (is made up?) was a little too forefront at times. It didn't move me hugely but is good, interesting music
Gorgeous album, just hearing the opening notes calms me down, on constant repeat 4/5
It was ... fine.
Not really my type of Music.
3.0 - Ok
Transcendent highs mixed with some pleasant, if plodding, filler. It's unclear to me whether this feeling is justified or not, but I have become increasingly cynical about the state of the music industry in recent years, particularly since the streaming takeover deepened in the mid 2010s. More and more, music, like the ultraprocessed foods that have been making headlines, has been depleted of any semblance of soul or personality and broken down into its constituent parts, which are then recombined into sonic bites that target some emotion, vibe, or "aesthetic", ready to be algorithmically mixed into a personalized playlist and played when the moment calls for just that sort of sound. Sigur Ros's Agaetis byrjun may have been released well before the advent of Spotify's recommendations, but it is clear to me that it was created with the express goal of touching that part of our brain that registers awe and beauty. I had no hope of understanding what this album’s lyrics mean, so I approached this listen exclusively from a sonic angle. What I heard is a band that, at their best, play with gorgeous lunar soundscapes that I would compare to some of Brian Eno’s ambient work (Apollo in particular comes to mind). The "lunar" comparison is particularly apt given that nearly every song on the album gives the feeling like you are bounding over the moon or swimming through honey. Things move in slow motion - you couldn't speed up even if you wanted to. The band play with vast combinations of some piercing sounds, but there are no strong impacts to speak of, and songs build and recede in swells while somewhat harsh vocals seem to float over the instrumentation. When done properly, the cinematic, transporting effect is fascinating. The highs on this album are positively transcendent, particularly Svefn-g-englar, which achieves that stop-you-in-your-tracks sound that Sigur Ros must have been going for, even if you don't dig into the lyrics describing a newborn baby coming to life. However, if the album is an attempt to stretch this atmosphere over the full 71-minute run time, the results are a bit mixed for me. Given that nearly every song is at least 7 minutes long, Sigur Rós give you plenty of time to absorb the atmosphere they create. When successful this works wonderfully, but when the sounds they experiment with don’t come off quite right the consistently slow tempo can make things plod along. At points, what I'm sure reads as standout beauty to some often comes across to me as overwrought. The strings in Staralfur just *scream* emotion but I find them a bit grating by the end of the song. The layered vocals, strings, piano and guitar feedback toward the end of Hjartao hamast give me similar impressions, reaching for a vast soundscape in a way that wears on me. Other cases are even frustrating to me because the band will have a great concept at the core of a song, only to lose track of it. Viorar vel til loftarasa is a perfect example of this - it has about a minute of beauty buried after 8 minutes of blandness and followed by a minute of more classical string pretensions. But that minute sure makes you think. This is an album that seeks to establish a certain vibe and runs with it. It's successful at that without a doubt. In doing so, though, there are some points where the music itself just loses me. Given how many sounds Sigur Ros play with, they do a nice job of pulling everything together into a coherent sound, at points melding discordant sounds into a gorgeous output. As what I view as an ambient-adjacent album, it feels fitting to me that I'll take only one or two songs with me for active listening. But maybe, just maybe, I'll reach for this the next time the "Ambient Dreamscapes" playlist on Spotify calls to me.
Oj kiedyś jak się chciało być fajnym i alternatywnym to się właśnie tego słuchało. Ja taka nie byłam. Ale z wiekiem zaczynam doceniać tę leniwą, spokojną, wieczorną i mroźną atmosferę tych utworów. Są trochę z innego świata. 6.5/10 równane w górę, bo dość już mam złej muzyki.
Pretty good
I don't think this is bad necessarily. There's a road less traveled where I'm a huge fan of this, it hit at the right formative moment, and I got super into it instead of A Perfect Circle or the Crüxshadows or another similar band that took a different left turn on this album's path. It's a three but I really, really hated every second of the 10:06 in Svefn-g-englar.
I was on a walk listening to this album when track 3, Staraflur, came on timed perfectly with the sun breaking through the clouds. I can't think of a nicer moment in recent history. This album combines those ments of transcendent beauty I associate with Sigur Ros, with more rock elements than their later work which I'm more familiar with. I also have a sneaking suspicion that if you played it backwards it would be Radiohead.
Normally don't like this genre but this is good for what it is.
Never heard this one. Their later stuff was incredible this is also great.
It took me 10+ tries to get through this.
1. Intro - N/A 2. Svefn-g-englar - 9 Maybe this is right place right time for a track given the seasonal depression crushing me at the moment but it's melodic tones speak volumes. It's like a mix of the best of Radiohead and Pink Floyd in a track. The last ninety seconds that contain the beating is needless in the track. 3. Starálfur - 10 Instrumentally a masterpiece, the vocals only come in when needed. Breathtaking track. 4. Flugufrelsarinn - 8 It starts really well and builds even better. Fantastic track. Vocals are definitely the highlight as it reaches a crescendo. 5. Ný batterí - 7 It's fantastic once the drums come in but it's a haul to get there. The part prior isn't bad at all, it's very enjoyable, but it's just such a slow build the song leaves you wishing it was a little stronger. 6. Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm) - 7 It has a lot of the same problems as the previous track but it's not got the bombastic drums. Instead they've been replaced by absolutely otherworldly strings that add an amazing emotion to the track. Not a fan of the noise at the end at all. 7. Viðrar vel til loftárása - 4 The strings to open is fantastic but the chaotic nature of them at the end is unenjoyable and swallows up the fantastic drums that support the track there. 8. Olsen olsen - 7 Brilliant mainly all instrumental track that really builds well and incorporates a lot of variety of instruments. It sounds a bit like a circus or carnival track at times but it's still very enjoyable. 9. Ágætis byrjun - 5 It's a bit of a lullaby. Instrumentally it's very good but I'm really not a fan of how it sounds vocally. Still, the track reminds me of an old village or something in Final Fantasy VII. It's a decent track. 10. Avalon - 4 It feels like the track cannot decide if it is going to be a funeral procession or Also Sprach Zarathustra. Bit of a nothingness track to end the album. Average Rating: 6.78 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 3.39 Rounded Down: 3 Stars
Sigur Rós’s production is lush and reverberant, full of atmospheric layers and stereo depth. Great for checking stereo imaging and soundstage width.
Beautiful atmosphere, their music makes me feel peaceful inside. Definitely going to revisit their other albums later
Sigur Ros is beautiful. I don't think I was in the right headspace for this album today but will always revisit when the time is right.
Wow this was great! Feels like a clear winter night where the stars and moon are super bright. Wonderful album
Really didn't enjoy this, aside from a few fleeting moments.
Nice álbum. Interesting, however I did not have patience to hear it all
Hmmm, good strings and orchestral arrangements. Vocals are pretty and ethereal.
I've listened to this before, during periods of time when the mood is for post-rock. In those moments, this album is a standard. Its droning strings create this ethereal landscape that flows through the record exquisitely. I was not particularly in the mood for it yesterday, so it felt lengthy, occasionally a little annoying, so I'm rating this with the knowledge that it's not an every day listen, and that when it does hit the spot, it's exactly what you need. One thing I did notice was that, although I've heard this album a handful of times, I had no memory of the songs, just the overall energy. 3.5/5
Ethereal
A very uplifting album
Boring
Growing up means that I can freely admit that this isnt my shit. As a too-smart indie teenager I always had to go along with this. And that's fine, I can appreciate the music, and how orchestral and cinematic it is. But is this something that I feel particularly drawn towards? Nah. Glad that I listened though. I can hear Radiohead and early Coldplay, so this album was probably very influential to others. Yeah...right down the middle. 3/5.
Grab some sopors and some cool ranch doritos,then hunker down for 71 minutes of bliss.
6.2/10
Post-rock is the most spectacularly boring genre of all time Does a nice job of sending me to sleep
I enjoyed it, dark chill
blue everywhere i float thru blue everywhere i float thru blue everywhere i float thru blue everywhere i float thru blue everywhere i float thru tjú.......
Fine
If this album condensed some of its ideas into maybe 55 minutes total runtime, it would be perfect. This is about as close to a 5/5 as you can get without actually getting there. “Sven-g-englar” is such a quintessential post-rock song, and that’s not the only must-listen on this album imo. “Starálfur” while very overt and a bit on the nose with its instrumentation at times, is touching and beautiful. Its swelling strings and unique composition are super memorable. “Ny batterí” is so dramatic at its ending, completely subverting the first few calm moments of the song. “Viorar Vel til Loftárása” has a sweet piano piece and other varied instrumentation that I feel were really needed to switch things up at that point in the album. The problem is, as I said before, this record has moments that just go on for too long and do nothing. I’m really sad about it in the context of applying a rating, because Sigur Rós pull off something incredibly impactful on the whole. This was my Radiohead, in many ways. Emotional and tender at moments, then loud and grand at others.
Not Takk, but ok
This is a beautiful chillout album.
I can see why some people like this kind of music, but its not for me. Sounds like background music to a marvel movie's action scene.
I can't say I liked it, I can't say I understand why this style of music exists, but I can't help but think if they were doing something closer to what I like, they're all talented enough that I would like them, so I can't hit them too hard - talented, just not my cup of tea I guess.
Sigur Ros is one of those bands I'd always heard of but never listened to. I can't even recall if I've heard a single Sigur Ros song, let alone an entire album. I didn't even know it was a band; I always thought it was the name of a solo artist. And for whatever reason, I have negative connotations with Sigur Ros because I groaned a little when I saw the album and said to myself, "I'll probably hate this." Turns out my fears weren't unfounded. There was like one song I didn't find impossibly boring. I get that it's moody and atmospheric and the fact that I can't understand the lyrics doesn't help but my God what a slog this one was.
A great listen if you’re in the right mood. Peaceful but lots of creative sounds to focus on. I especially love the horns on some songs, and the droning guitars.
Fantastic album, ethereal, beautiful music. It's really a 5/5, but on a regular day I usually don't have the patience to go through a Sigur Rós album in full, hence, 4/5 for my personal taste.
Shite.
I started listening to this feeling quite cheerful, 10 mins in I was gloomy, two tracks later I was clinically depressed. Luckily I found the off switch before self harm became an issue but it was close. All in all not for me.
This doesn’t resonate with me. I like some ambient and dream pop, but this just felt too ethereal.
I get why people would really love this, but it wasn't quite my style. I really don't care for the 8 or 9 minute long soundscape style songs. I won't knock points for being in a language that I didn't understand, but I don't think it really helped either. I'm glad I listened though. It was nice to get something completely outside of my normal listening.
One of the best of all time!
= The Beatles
lowkey the most perfect album to get on a study day 5/5
Normally not my thing. Can't explain why this is ok to my brain.
#165/1001. Once in a while a band comes out who seems to create their own musical and lyrical universe. In the case of Sigur Rós, they also did the unexpected by doing this and gaining international attention and fame. I have been a fan of this for a long time and actually own this on vinyl, and it doesn't grow old. For me it remains fresh, interesting and new and ageless, genuine and out of this world at the same time. I've been to Iceland many times and recommend listening this through headphones while driving or walking through the alien planet landscape. Suddenly it all makes sense.
Decent background music but couldn't get into it
I have only a passing knowledge of Sigur Ros. I think I had listened to this record before, but I can't say for sure. I first played it on my hi-fi, which tempted me to call it the loudest quiet record I'd ever heard. Some of the bass notes went so low that they created standing waves that muddied some of the detail that form the textures that characterize Ágætis Byrjun. It was a bit of an uncomfortable experience. Figuring that there was more to this album than I could hear in the room, I listened again with headphones (streamed on my phone through a wired DAC), and the experience was completely different. Ágætis Byrjun is a beautiful album, beautifully executed. I'm curious, but I don't need to know what the lyrics say. I'm looking forward to listening again to a high-quality file, which I hope will reveal even more detail. This is a record that rewards critical listening. Four stars.
One of my fave albums of all time… it really has that “the world is so big and vast and full of wonder and it’ll be all okay” feeling
Langweilig.
Eigentlich 3,5 Sterne. Aber leichte Tendenz zu 3, weil die Ausreißer nach oben nicht ganz für 4 reichen.
Würde ich gerne mehr lieben als ich es eigentlich tue. Teilweise passiert mir dann doch etwas zu wenig. "Svefn-g-englar" ist aber natürlich immer noch einer der besten Songs aller Zeiten.
Lange her. Vllt sollte ich das nochmal hören. Zumindest sagt mir mein Gefühl, dass es 4 Sterne sein sollten.
Hat mir besser gefallen als erwartet. Sehr entspannt und ich erkenne den künstlerischen Wert...
Sigur Rós halt, die Qualität der Musik ist nicht zu beanstanden. Ist aber auch stellenweise... herausfordernd.
In meiner Vorstellung klangen die immer anders, aber ich bin sehr froh, dass die so klingen wie sie klingen, denn sie klingen wirklich ganz und gar wunderbar
Sublime
somewhat inaccessible, but ultimately rewarding
Am I ascending??? Because this album is ridiculously beautiful. I think I listened to this album about one and a half year ago (maybe two) but by that time I didn't really get it. Now that this list made me return to it, I can't believe I've being ignoring this record for so long. It is full of absolutely gorgeous orchestration and singing, droning guitars and climax that ascended me to heaven. It is unbelievable how wonderful and emotional this project can get. I must add one thing. I had to be in a certain relaxed mood to really get the best experience out of this album. I tried listened to it while being a bit stressed and it almost ruined the LP for me. However, instead of making and average of how I feel in both situations, I decided to only considering my feeling when I liked it the most, and that's why it gets 5 stars, as this thing is incredibly close to perfection in my eyes.
Wtf is this
first impressions, i like the cover A LOT. learned that they are icelandic, so i am immediately thinking they will give me weird bjork vibes...hopefully. - sounding like come down music - sad girl vibes - if i hadn't read that this was a man, would've thought it was a woman singing - not enjoying the rock bits - enjoying ny batteri more - i like viorar, v peaceful, not so ambient that it feels like the song is going nowhere -- yeah this song easily the best so far, the crescendo towards the end is killer. I wouldn't listen to this again intentionally. If it's on that's fine, but I doubt I'll seek it out
Ngl I was floating to a good portion of this.
If you are one who appreciates ‘texture’ over lyricism, Ágætis byrjun is the album that will command your attention. That is, unless you have some understanding of Icelandic, in which case there may be some lyrical content for you too. This is what’s often dubbed ‘post-rock’, the idea that this sound is so far evolved from what you’d expect ‘rock’ to be, that it has pushed itself into its own label. You can clearly hear why that is. These are soundscapes; that is to say, the painting of musical pictures in each track. Evoking that of Icelandic glaciers and geological faults, or maybe that of the album cover, a supernatural and angelic foetus waiting to be born.
ny batteri and bamm bamm bamm just blew my shit apart
I'm fairly skeptical of any musical genre that starts with the word "post" but I haven't experience much postrock. Anyway, they say you can't really judge a book by its cover, but you can definitely judge this album by its cover. It sounds exactly like the music an alien baby with angel wings and webbed hands still attached to the umbilical cord would jam to. Or float to, I guess. It's not unpleasant, it just lacks rhythm, groove, character. Just floaty coffee shop music. Naturally, it's on the long side. 2/5
Very different than what I expected. Reminds me of Porter. I can see myself hearing this again.
10/10
Ew no thanks
Think I need to come back to this to give it more attention - some pretty amazing listens in there but not for everyday
Beautiful haunting music. Really glad to be introduced to this one! Reminds me of Moby, Flaming Lips, Radiohead all mixed together. Gotta remember this one.
Langweilig.
classic
Perhaps I wasn’t in the mood, but this is not something I’d re-listen.
I still dig Sigur Ros. I have this album on vinyl. It's still haunting.
Some great tracks but a bit difficult for me to get through
Ny batteri sounds like the Valheim overworld music
what the fart
Not something I would normally listen to, but quite relaxing. 4 stars or B-.
FIRE 4.5
Celestial. Heavenly. Nobody sounds like Sigur Ròs. Full of hope and wonder. This is a mesmerizing album - like being lost in a magical dreamland of Hopelandic sounds of wonder.
Loved the first half but them it dropped off for me on the second half. A great listen.
Can listen the whole way through but sounds like sad background music
It was fine. It's not really 'trance' music, but it's also not not trance.
Een soort sterrenhemelgaze in plaats van shoegaze. Ik vind dat vaak wel lekker. Rondzweven in de ruimte, drijven in een bak lauw water; de trouwe volgers hebben het me vaker horen zeggen. Je moet er wel een beetje zin in hebben anders ga je je misschien afvragen waar je mee bezig bent. Ik kom qua beschrijving niet heel veel verder dan mooie rustgevende geluiden en hypnotiserend. En dan een beetje relatief hoog IJslands gejengel er doorheen, maar als je weet dat Björk bestaat kun je dit haast niet omschrijven als hoog IJslands gejengel natuurlijk. De meeste nummers (maar we nemen even 'Ný batterí' als voorbeeld) zijn een feestje om te luisteren op de headset met die stereo-effecten en oneindige hoeveelheid laagjes. Ook dit is wel weer een album waarvoor je meedoet aan deze lijst, wat mij betreft. Ik had dit uit mezelf nooit aangezet, maar ben wel blij dat ik het nu heb gehoord. 5 sterren.
Haunting, elevating, beautiful.
A surprisingly great album. It’s a mix of atmospheric and rhythm that I really enjoyed.
At first I wasn’t liking this album. The more I listened, and learned a little about its meaning, the more I liked it. But I still didn’t come to love it. Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása was my favorite track. It’s really beautiful. Maybe after another listen I may have rated this a little higher.
Long album, not a lot to hold your attention, but beautiful beat and wonderful listening experience… if you want to lay down/meditate/relax. Reminds me of an islandic enya.
The whole album felt like a dreamscape.
Sounded like ambient noise, which I'm not sure they were intending given that the genre is post-rock. Didn't really make me engaged.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!! I am truly shocked this wonderful album is on the list. An absolute favorite of mine. Play this loud. Play this often. Play this while driving across the country or sitting on your couch.
By all rights, my ADHD-having-ass shouldn't have enjoyed this. It's quite ambient, it's in a foreign language... very little to catch and keep my attention. And yet, I couldn't help but be spellbound by over an hour of Icelandic orchestral post-rock. I read that the album was about the journey of a life from birth to death, but didn't look up any translations or meanings for any specific songs - instead just letting the vibe tell the story, which it does incredibly well. There's something about searching in the music for a story you know is there but haven't heard before that's deeply arresting. Because of its musical insistence on telling its story to me despite my inability to understand the language, I am absolutely convinced that this album is a masterclass in composing. I choose to give it 5 stars, with only one caveat: the lyrics *might* be a steaming pile of dookie... and without translating them I'll never know. I don't plan to. I'm happier this way.
Ethereal weirdness that is wholly unique
awesome for me
Not sure I ever actually listened to this back in the day, maybe I did but I can't remember. Very pretty but sorta feels like it's trying to beat you over the head with its prettiness at the expense of actually being interesting Fav song: Svefn-g-englar
Very spacey.
No private session used for Spotify. A band that I know I know, but can't recall how and when I listen to their music. I knew one of the songs. I like that song, but didn't need an albums worth of it.
Gorgeously ethereal, but a bit too much.
Not my thing
-Some of the songs are okay, or have interesting orchestral elements, but as a whole I don't think I really like this album or perhaps artist.
- Sigur Ros - Atmospheric
Lo-fi music to bleed out in the snow to
I feel like what's so impressive about Sigur Ros and this album is that they have perfected a sound that is evocative, intense, dreamy and engaging yet I feel like it's never been successfully replicated by anyone else but them. Of course there are lots of bands making ambient, dreamy soundscape music but their specific style (and maybe this is because of Icelandic singing) just seems so authentically theirs. I feel like they deserve to be held as the Viking Kings and Queens of this style of music , and this album may be their crowning achievement.
I went through a post-rock phase late in high school and every once in a while I like to dip my toes back in those waters. That said, I never really got into Sigur Ros back then. I knew of them, but I liked the more punk rock aesthetics of bands like Do Make Say Think, A Silver Mt Zion, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. I'm genuinely surprised there's not a Godspeed album on this list. Ágætis Byrjun is a great album. Standout tracks for me are Ný batterí and Hjartað Hamast (Bamm Bamm Bamm). The only thing that might hold it back from full points for me is that I need to be in the right mood to listen to an hour plus of ethereal, ambient, and atmospheric post-rock.
Modern version of sleepy songs before bed
Psychedelic, calming, funky.
It starts interesting and atmospheric, but that wares thin fairly quick.
Beautiful as ever. Very chilled listen, nice having songs I'm less familiar with.
Es ist ein atmosphärisches Meisterwerk des Post-Rock, das mit sphärischen Klanglandschaften, isländischer Lyrik und der einzigartigen Stimme von Jónsi eine träumerische Welt erschafft.
Revelation. That is all I can say about this record. Hearing “Svefn-g-englar” for the first time blew my mind. The rest of the record has the same otherworldly atmosphere. It really feels as though I am being transported to another world, perhaps Álfheimr or Svartálfaheimr.
Not a bit of me, I get the idea behind it but meh
Some nice songs, but some stuff is a little too out there...
Staralfur good Harmonica jump scare Gets boring fairly quickly but I respect the vibes enough to give it a 2/5
I'm a big fan of the whole post rock scene. Huge atmospheric and orchestral tones. Play it loud let it fill your head. If you liked this, I would highly recommend Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
Decent background music - couple of good songs but I probably won't be going back to it in a hurry
Ah, guys, you made a mistake, this one actually belongs in the 1001 most boring albums of all time list.
Play this whole thing at my funeral
Nope. Ambient tones that are monotonous to my ear. Not offensive, and likely beautiful. Just not to my tastes.
top 3: -staralfúr -ný batterí -hjaratao hamast
Good post-rock stuff, but not really for me
Sigur Rós is one of those bands that if you don't at least appreciate what they are doing I don't want to be friends with you. I'm serious! I don't want to learn Icelandic because I love just thinking of what they might be saying on here. Regardless this album is about as classic as you can get as far as I'm concerned. Cannot get any better than anything that Sigur Rós has put out, every album should be in the book, and that's why it will always get a 5.
Interesting but it ultimately doesn’t do it for me.
So much to trudge through until there are moments of pleasure. Moments, because soon you are trudging through drudgery again.
Very nice. 3 or 4. Reminds me of Radiohead or Massive Attack, but with lush strings and wind instruments.
Omg, I was obsessed with Starafur in 2010. I haven't really listened to it since then! I love me some vibey albums, and this is the gooooood stuff!
Interesting but not sure I heard any bowed guitar.
A masterpiece
Yes it’s ethereal and yes it’s exquisitely crafted, and yes they’re beautiful nostalgic Icelandic fairies and elves. But there’s something lacking here, like it’s all a bit out of focus. It’s a hell of a way to break out as an artist but it’s definitely not their best, most focused work.
slow and experimental
Listened while driving around Scotland’s highlands, and the vibes still didn’t carry this album too far.
I remember liking this when I was young, but now it's just noise to me.
I thought this was a cool ambient album. Might not throw on any song from it but I’d definitely listen again for that specific vibe
Awful
MAGICAL ETHEREAL JUST LIKE just like the cover, that’s how it feels. Just like what I was hopeful to find. Like Air, and a breath of coast air. Maybe I don’t understand what it talks about, but my soul does. I’m definitely listening to e ve ry song of Sigur and his solo creations (Jónsi) and if u check the albums Sigur Rós appears, there are some interesting options to dive into.
Meio melancólico Boa pra ouvir quando estiver triste
95/1001 :: Ágætis Byrjun - Sigur Rós Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ➖ Rating: 6 Listen before you die: Yes I’ve listened to this album before. And every time I go back I find it tough to get through. It’s a good one to put on to live in the background of a work setting where you can drift in and out. It’s beautifully done but it can get a little dull at times. After revisiting today I realized this had more singing than I remember. I think maybe I thought it was more instrumental because there’s no English. Either way, this is definitely worth a listen and worth of this list even it’s unlikely I’ll ever listen in its entirety again. That said, this is a good contender to play at your funeral.
Remarkably well done album. There were moments when I’d start to think it was a little too ambient and then it would change and draw me back in. Really happy this was on the list!
Very ethereal, almost alien sounding soundtrack. I wish it were longer.
If the Aurora Borealis had a soundtrack, this would be it
Because I don’t understand the words, this is pure ambient music, to me. It’s good in that function. A 3 or 4. Probably a 4.
95/100. A multi-functional album, it can be exactly what you want it to be. Sometimes blissful and bright, other times dark and melancholic. But always wonderfully produced. Absolutely transcending.
Mostly boring
A beautiful album. Reminded me a Weynagrom, who I miss.
It started off a bit dull but became a lot better
What a great album this is. Hadn't listened in a while but so beautiful. Best to be listened in full and get absorbed by the soundscape. Are all songs 5 stars? Mostly yes, but all are at least 4+. Add to that that the title track and the monumental Svefn-g-englar are easily 6 on a scale of 5 and my vote is clear.
I like this one. Soothing
I tried listening to Sigur Ros years ago but it never grabbed me at all. This album is actually much better than I remember them being - some great stuff but also some dull stuff. Overall though a decent album.
This album was weird but better then I expected. I wish it was in English but I enjoyed regardless.
2.4
interesting.
Un peu particulier, je dois reconnaître que je n’ai pas vraiment été emballée par cette écoute…
2/5 not something I would normally listen to :(
Beautiful, delicate, and not for me. 3/ 5
This was such a lovely, calm listen. Not quite a 4 star album because it was a smidgen too long, but I enjoyed it a lot.
Beautiful music but not for me.
Great background stuff for working.
Good ambient music, but I didn't care for the vocals. I'm sure this style was largely unheard of at this time, so I do have to give them credit for that.
This was so beautiful and refreshing after everything we’ve had to endure (sad British boys). How cool that music transcends language… really felt this on the title track which I loved and is maybe sung by an alien that I feel really emotionally connected to. This feels timeless, like beyond time. Excited to listen to the whole thing again while journal crying!
I loved this. Staralfur was the stand out song for me on the first listen, I'm going to need to go on a Sigur Ros deep dive after this. Wow music is cool!
ok galera não é ruim não mas foge bastante do meu escopo
pior que eu nunca tinha escutado mais de uma música deles. calmim, bem atmosférico, gostoso demais. tudo muito bem produzido, colocado de maneira bonitinha pra dar textura pra musica. não eh um album pra todo dia, mas hoje achei lindo lindo lindo. (achei melhor que radiohead, até o momento)
Great stuff. Some incredible songs
Some truly beautiful stuff on here, however, there is a lot of down time. 7/10
It's grand, it's lush, it's beautiful.
Good production. Sounds fine. It's a lot of ambient tunes, sort of depressing vocals. A bit depressing all around. I'd say it's a good background album for an overcast or rainy day.
Strange how an artist you ought to enjoy can somehow never get that chance for years. By the time Sigur Rós drifted into my orbit, I was too caught up with Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, and Mono for my post-rock fix. While ambiently aware of them, it would take some post-bracket action to pierce the veil. Even then, my response was tempered and restrained — perhaps mirroring the music? I know enough to know that Ágætis Byrjun isn't their first record, but sometimes you don't count the false starts. This record is not bad for an opening statement, no matter the language.
Took me back two decades: 16 in Seattle, way top high in my boyfriend’s car thinking we were the first mother fuckers on earth to have a spiritual experience while listening to music oh ecstasy.
Epic in scale and depth, lovely ambience and otherworldly vocals really pull the listener out of their setting. Hard rating this as I wasn’t fully engaged as I could have been, and still loved it. Maybe a bit overlong but overall 4.5/5
Cool trippy song from Layer Cake 9/10 Overall
Is there anything from Iceland that just isn’t fucking weird? I don’t know if it’s something in the water, the isolation from the rest of the world, the small and possibly inbred population or some kind of fey fairy magic, but it’s weird stuff. Weird doesn’t mean bad, but weird it is. Bjork, Sigur Ros, the guy from Game of Thrones… Add to the fact that apparently Sigur Ros doesn’t actually sing any real lyrics- you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s Icelandic- which almost no one speaks- but it’s not. It’s their made-up fairy language. The music is lush, orchestral and electronic and the soundtrack for a noble Viking death in some 90s movie. ¨Hjartao Hamast¨ sounds like the Deftones if made the soundtrack for a futuristic gay sauna. This is meant as high praise- like the rest of the album, the song takes you somewhere. All in all, it was easy to let the music fall into the background- it was transportive enough when I actively listened but at times easy to disengage from. That’s not the band’s failing, it’s mine. Best songs: ¨Hjartao Hamast¨
I liked it. Very new sound to me. Will definitely listen again in the future
This music is interesting, and I suspect there is a lot here if you have the patience to examine it. Unfortunately I couldn't quite focus in on it despite multiple spread out attempts. So, I think worth examining but maybe not quite my speed. Maybe I'll try again one day and it'll be the right timing for it.
6/10 Sleepy time tea.....z.zz.zzzzzzzz 9-22-2025
Yes
A very beautiful album, but just a bit too long for my liking! Also didn't realise this was the band that sang hoppipolla, love that song 3 ⭐️
Nice music but why does it all have to be so bloody long??
A mind-bending album that changed music scores forever. Feels millennial now, but no other act captures wonder quite like Sigur Ros.
Interesting album could revisit on a weird day
I was thinking about giving this album my first 1-star review for a while. It's not like it was sonically offensive--and I couldn't understand the lyrics to know whether they're saying anything unspeakably ghastly or anything--but it was really just boring the absolute shit out of me. Every song like 8-10 minutes, all of them sort of quiet and moody and meandering, nothing managing to compel me along on a journey. Knowing I had something like 8 more tracks like that was enough to turn me against it in a serious way. Then I finished work, night fell, and I started listening with headphones. It's still not blowing my mind or anything, but the whole mood of the album is without a doubt best suited for quiet, pensive, nighttime listening, in my opinion. It definitely changed up on me and saved itself from a truly dubious distinction.
Some will hear this and be annoyed by the fact the lyrics aren’t in English (and often not even in a real language but the band’s made up Hopelandic). Some will listen to the marvel of sound engineering and arrangement, but hear only cacophony. That is not me. This album is a monument to the human experience, from the shock of birth, to the sweet naivety of youth, dreariness of adulthood, and ending on the bittersweet joy of existence. Though this was not the album that at first cemented Sigur Rós as one of my all time favorites (Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust was my introduction), there’s no denying—for me at least—that this album is a masterpiece. 5/5 and my current #1 overall album from this project to date.
Definitely an artifact of its time. Can’t tell if it inspired everything else that sounds like it, or if it was inspired by everything else.
weird ambiance or trance music
If it were a score to a movie it could be good- as a stand alone album less so.
Interesting sound and I kike it alot
Very aesthetic and ethereal, I actually like this quite a bit.
It's not my cup of tea.
Hauntingly beautiful
Pleasant in the background. ★★★
Interesting but not something I would listen to again.
Icelandic radiohead.
Beautiful and atmospheric album.
I like the idea of this band and album more than the actualities. I'm happy they exist and understand why they are lauded. It, for me, is like a soundtrack to a dense indie movie that I also did not relate to or particularly enjoy.
Was it good? No. Was it interesting? Not really. Did it change music? Definitely not.
Enjoyable enough
I feel bad saying it, but this had me going back and forth between boredom and outright irritation. Sometimes the music just doesn't seem to work together in a way that makes sense to my brain. It's like they're shoving disparate parts together. And the vocals and drums and horns just don't have pleasing tones. A lot of the ambient stuff just isn't pleasant. There are moments where I can get into it and I'm like "hey maybe this song is gonna work for me!" and then the vocals come in or something and knock it back down. It's just very much not for me, I suppose.
long but ok
Another "short number of songs but each song is long" weird album. Nothing bad but I never thought "oh yeah this is a good one"
I used to listen to this album quite a lot in the 2000s/2010s. It’s beautiful and provides a great soundscape backdrop when you want to concentrate and do something… or contemplate existence or whatever. It was lovely to revisit it. I started to read about the meaning of the lyrics and it seems really intense so I decided I didn’t need to know the full story. The music already tells a powerful emotional story. This also reminds me of my late brother, who liked Sigur Ròs and composed a bunch of instrumental music that was probably partially inspired by them.
I really enjoyed this. I hadn't listened to them before. I feel like I just knew them as the band who sometimes sings in a made up gibberish language... which I kind of have mixed feelings about. I was happy when I did some googling and found out most of this album is in Icelandic. Why does the gibberish bother me? Well I think a big part of making music and having vocals is the lyrical content. It's hard to put your thoughts and feelings to paper and share them with the world. It's scary. And I just feel like using a gibberish language is a copout, it feels like they're avoiding digging into their true feelings and instead just doing some "oooo" "ahhhhs" which sorta creates a barrier between me and the work. Buttt I was glad to find out that wasn't the case on this album. I have no idea what they were talking about but it felt massive and sad but also joyous... emotional for sure. Those feelings came across even though I don't speak Icelandic. Musically... it felt vaguely orchestral and classic, but also like radiohead ballads stretched out into these massive 10 minute atmospheric movements. It also gave me a post rock vibe the way tracks would build to these big joyous crescendos... a little god speed you black emperor vibes. Also it made me think of whale songs... in a good way. This was a pleasant surprise. Definitely too long though. 70 minutes is a lot of music. I tried to pick out specific tracks but they kind of blur into this one massive piece of music... also in a good way. 3 stars
It’s pretty mellow, but pretty repetitive as well.
My husband loves getting high and listening to these guys and honestly I totally get it.
Loved it! So peaceful, beautiful and emotional. The start of the album is quite sad and reflective but the mood really picks up in back end. It really took me on an emotional rollercoaster. The big uplifting crescendo on Olsen Olsen is a highlight, but Viðrar vel til loftárása was amazing too.
This album was a beautiful background for an hour. I didn't look at individual songs but I loved it all. The vocals and broad variety of instrumentation are so beautiful. It is so peaceful. I can't understand one word of what they're saying, but I don't like it any less for that. My favorite song was "Olsen olsen". I had listened to this before, but it had been a while. It is an amazing album. I could have sworn we had Takk earlier in the project. I went back to see what I wrote, but couldn't find it. Am I hallucinating that? I want to lie in a sauna with this playing. 9/10
Defiantly not my favorite kind of album. It never really goes anywhere for me, with each break in music being progressively slower.
Amo este álbum, fue amor a primera escucha, es el inicio y final de todo lo que pueda ser mi vida 🩷
Need more time with this.
Great album with the hits but also some lesser known tracks that are also awesome!
Stórfengleg plata, fátt gerir mig jafn stoltan af því að vera íslendingur
Esoteric, interesting modal movement within the instrumentation. I'm not a fan of overtly repetitive music, but it's hard to know if it's poignant without understanding the language. Overall, it's good vibes, but not my typical cup of tea.
Big fan of the ambient vibes.
Symphonic and atmospheric. 4/5
I think i dont get this because im not a musician. Because it sounds complex and difficult and grand. But what was the impetus to make it? Some of it is just noisy.
Very cool soundscape. Lots of interesting and inspirational sounds for a budding producer. Good songs too.
RAD
Magical and magnificent soundscapes.
Like all Sigur Ros this was beautiful and a great listen with one or two stand out tracks.
Beautiful and haunting. Used to play this every night and drift off to sleep :)
Good album.
Wow. This was... This was incredible. I felt teary-eyed even when I didn't understand the lyrics, there's so much emotion and feeling behind the vocals. I think I can 100% confidently say this album is beautiful.
Occasionally the silences are a bit too long and make me wonder if there is something wrong with my headphones. But what is here has its beauty. Something for a cold late night.
This album demands your ambivalence.
proto-hopelandic
This is majestic and magical. A refreshing album. Certainly unique. Don’t know the language but felt like I was ascending for most of it.
Going to come back to this one
Unique, took a little while to really get into it but Im glad I persevered I enjoyed it a lot.
I enjoyed this once I got into it. Made for a nice drive, decided to diverge off my route down the coast to soak it up. Not sure when I'd listen again, but this was way better than I expected.
I first heard this in the fall/winter of 1999 before its US debut. I was following FatCat Records because of its experimental IDM adjacent roster of artists and was quite astonished by this album when it came out. Could only get it on Napster too. Sheer guitar bowing epic grandeur. It remains my favorite Sigur Ros album to this day.
Really good background, ambient music. The soundscapes are haunting and move along at a tick more than a spa music pace. The lyrics aren’t understandable but that doesn’t take away. Horns and drums are a surprising addition to this type of album. Almost like a Radiohead without the pollution of English lyrics. Jazzy, but not jazz. Probably good for getting work done or chilling out alone. Never would have heard this if not for 1001, so glad to be introduced to it.
Seems to be a great album to enjoy while alone with your thoughts.
Schräg. Etwas lang, etwas viel, aber es hatte seine guten Momente. Erinnert mich etwas an Radiohead. 3 1/2, aber ich runde auf.
Pretty good…reminds me of something I’d hear in life is strange. Great for studying/sleeping.
nice ambient
Hmm, an odd one this, and I feel a bit bad about my opinion. I remember when this came out and there was a bit of fuss in the UK about them - there were a few of these gentle, pleasant albums around at the time (José Gonzales, this lot, Magic Numbers etc), and I bought it and never really listened to it. I didn’t really miss much. It’s very pleasant, and nice … but it’s not very interesting, and it goes on forever. Background music feels harsh, but that’s my impression. It’s not bad by any means and if it was on somewhere I wouldn’t be upset, but I’m never taking it off the shelf again.
Yup, that’s Icelandic.
Okay background music... kinda like noise sometimes?
Truly sad that the first actually experimental album on my journey thus far just wasn’t for me but hey, what can I say. But it just wasn’t for me. It was still interesting and somewhat okay background noise but I will forget I listened to this pretty soon.
It's chill, didn't understand it obv
Pleasant background noise but nothing memorable. Meh.
Interesting, melodic, moody (all the moods). I’d listen to this again and/or more of their stuff
Sleepy
What Enya would sound like on gummies
Unexpectedly a big vibe - really mellow at times, but some cool ambiance and great piano throughout.
Haunting vocals give this an ethereal feel
Had to skip the back half of Svefn-g-englar because I couldn't stand the "It's yooooooooooou" refrain, assuming that's what they were saying. I had to listen to the album multiple times to find a track that I wanted to capture for a future-listen playlist: no favorites easily jumped out to me. I'm not as enamored of the Jonsi falsetto, but maybe it's just not for me. These vibes make me want to listen to Radiohead instead.
Hauntingly beautiful. An incredible experience. I wish to listen to this while watching the northern lights. Makes me feel small, but not insignificant. Every night, we are embraced by the same moonlight every dream was ever dreamt under.
Good in atmosphere. Not really my taste of music but felt well mixed, produced and cohesive. If you’re a fan of this type of music, i believe this is great.
Listened on a hike - strangely therapeutic. 4.
3 stars
low bpm, baydı
Pretty magical vibes. Even with the language barrier you could feel a strong emotional current throughout.
Interesting and unusual sounds. Glad to have listened to it but not sure I would re listen.
Very cool album, chill ambient vibes with hints of psychedelic and other rock influences.
Not for me. Sounded like random sounds
This album is so cool it's frozen. It makes you wait for every note. And I love it for that.
A gorgeous album that I just didn’t give a chance to for whatever reason (well, mostly because I didn’t understand the point of a made up language). But I realized how much emotion can come through when uou allow it to and surrender to the music, even without understandable language.
I don’t really get these kind of soft synth pop with female vocals albums, I understand that people may like them, but I don’t feel like they are interesting enough to make a list of 1001 albums you “must” hear. It’s a perfectly fine record, just nothin notable in my opinion.
If you are taking drugs and need a relaxing comedown, this is it.
Enjoyed most of it!
A very unique and beautiful sound, i really enjoyed it. I think this is an album that will grow on me in time so I will listen to it again in the future and may edit my rating accordinly
Я ніколи не слухав гурт раніше. Була стійка асоціація зі скучною музикою, що мені не сподобається. Точно змінив свою думку на краще, є дуже гарні пісні, але й вистачає одноманістності, якої тут все-таки більше
interesting
3/5
OooooooOOOoooOoOoooooooooo x 400
So very beautiful and peaceful. Reminds me of Low Roar and Woodkid - some of these would fit right in to the Death Stranding soundtracks. 5/5
Real ethereal
In de juiste setting: zeer goed. Sfeervol, en toch soms episch
To get the real experience out of this, this has to be played on some high-powered speakers, and not some kind of DMV office speakers I have. Besides that constatation, this album gets boring quickly after the first few tracks. It's overly long, with a lot of repetitiveness to it. The only redeeming factor is how much it sooths. A nice listening experience for a cold and dark night, when you want nothing extravagant, just something to pass through the ears and kill the deafening silence. Also, you can hear where some bands took inspiration, instrumentally. Coldplay's early ventures into the more alternative side of rock have a lot of atmosphere that can be attributed to Sigur Rós, and this album.
This music is just gorgeous.
Immediately I'm intrigued. It sounds experimental, yet warm. What a wonderful first song to set the mood - Intro is just such a nice start. The calm, soft synth notes. Instantly, the world around doesn't matter - i'm so curious what's next. Not sure what language is this, but the tone matches the song well. It's incredibly immersive, captivating even. I wish I knew what they were singing, but it feels like wrapping me in a blanket of chords. I think the theme may be conception, given the muffled sounds, long chords, or heartbeat-like rhythms. And the album cover, of course. It may feel a bit too much... self-loving? I mean, the music feels even a bit TOO heavenly and serene, like it wants to be the sounds of Heaven itself. But frankly? I don't care. It's such a relaxing vibe. I really want to listen to it again after all that. All the flutes, saxes, violins, guitars... it's a spiritual experience of an album. I know I wouldn't be able to listen to it everyday, but darn. It's great.
Ah, my first DNF of this project. Look, I'm doing my best over here. I'm pushing against my comfort zones, I'm trying to keep an open mind, trying new things. But my patience for extended pretentious wankery is limited. Obviously there is talent here, but these are ambient soundscapes more than actual songs, and I cannot make myself care. Miserable.
No need to listen. Know this one really well. 4.5 just because they have better albums
Largely pleasant and forgettable. A nice enough way to fall asleep if you need a soundtrack for that.
Strays into melodrama, missing a little edge. Not Sigur Ros's best album for me
like aphrodite twin missed with pink floyd
Did not like this album at all. Thought Svefn-g-englar had a cool interesting vibe to start and then the entire album just had no energy. The lead singer made me physically uncomfortable on bamm bamm bamm. Not for me
Some cool moments and sounds but did not grab me.
Musical wallpaper
I heard some of the Icelandic magic (like Bjork), but the songs never felt like they truly get energetic enough to stick around for. Glad I gave it an honest listen, but I dont get it
When I'm in the right mood (which is often), I love Sigur Ros. It's pretty stuff and easy listening. Heavy bias towards music I can listen to while I'm doing work, so prob inflating my rating by a star or so above what's fair, but whatever.
I listened to a bit of Sigur Ros back in the day - and a bit more of Jonsi solo stuff. The guy is clearly insanely talented as a musician and composer, and you can hear here why he would go on to have a bigger career in film score. This was cinematic and beautiful, for sure, and I would put this firmly in the category of nice albums to fall asleep to. Not a bad thing, but there isn't really anything that sounds like a hit on here. Fun fact I learned the other day: Hoppipolla, on a later album, they called "The Money Song" because they knew that would be more of a commercial hit. This album doesn't have any Money Songs. Feel like they are kind of coasting on the novelty of singing in Icelandic - like an average looking British guy getting swarmed by women because of his accent.
Real hog crankers get mellow with this one
I like the beats and everything with it but it feels like the songs get kind of dragged out and over stay their welcome after a couple of minutes in
Trippy and reminded me of UFOs
Another album that doesn't go anywhere. Nice noises, but an hour of it isn't for me.
I rarely hear people talk about the bass on this album. It’s basically always doing the same ostinato line the whole song and eventually drops out for a bit. But a song like Ny Batteri would be nothing without it.
Im reconsidering my life here man
I have mixed feelings. It was a challenge for me to finish the album. I lost my interest in most songs due to their slow intro. However, as the songs progressed, intricate melodies -maybe not even melody, sound- appeared. I felt like looking at a nebula. Still, these parts were not common and I will have to skip a lot if I want to listen to these songs again. I think they are just not my type.
Good for certain moods, like lofi music
Ambient and beautiful, however it doesn’t quite capture me. At most this sits as strong background music unless you are seriously critically listening, there’s a large divide between the two when it comes to casual enjoyment. Nothing wrong with that!
One of those bands I'd heard about but never heard. Everything I heard about them sounded like they aren't my thing. Listening to this confirms they are not my thing.