Ágætis Byrjun

This one is an anomaly for me. I love the music, the feel, the overall aura of this album. But, I’m huge on lyrics and meaning behind songs, so something not in my native language is often hard for me to digest. Audibly though, it’s a masterpiece.

I DNF but I really liked what I heard

bom para trabalhar

Weirdly beautiful. Really liked this one

Lovely, but as with everything Sigur Ros it needs a few listens to get inside it.

Sigur Ros are a genre leader for this brand of trance folk and this album is one of their best

Música islandesa así como ambiental. Me ha gustado.

Great relisten!

I'm a fan of Sigur Rós, and Jónsi. I think I've listened to this album before. I know I have listened to lots of individual tracks and live performances from the band. The first two full tracks ("Svefn-g-englar" & "Starálfur") were the tracks that I recognized as having heard them before. "Starálfur" was my favorite track, but "Ágætis byrjun" and "Svefn-g-englar" were close behind. The album was consistent and each track was 'good' or better.

First Listen: A majestic post/prog rock re it’s seemingly based on missing the beauty of childhood (lyrics aren’t in English so I’m guessing). It feels like a journey through the heavens and into space.

Very weird. Not my usual cup of tea but I'm glad I listened to it. It's definitely out there.

very pretty, very chill, I will return to this.

Moving album. It fills my head like a film soundtrack, which is what the more know songs on the album have been used as. Sigur Rós flew under my radar for the most part until ( ), and I have never really explored their early work. The beautiful, etheral vocals firm Jonsi put this apart for me. His voice is its own instrument.

Kyllä se vaan toimii. Jotenkin ilman ymmärrettävää kieltä Sigur Ros osaa kuitenkin rimputella sydänjuuriani.

Beautiful music. Wish I knew what the lyrics meant. My only criticism is that after about 45 minutes in, it gets kind of same-y. However it is beautiful and relaxing. Great for working.

Great stuff. Such a unique sound and so peaceful and stirring at the same time.

Icelandic post-rock weirdness. As the cover art would suggest (and the translated title, "A good beginning"), this album is a lot like floating around in the womb. It's dreamy, mellow, nice. Instrumentation helps achieve this goal with a lot of reverb, some strings, and dainty keys. While the arrangements are something to behold, this is largely held back, I feel, by the vocals. I can look past unconventional vocal stylings most times, though when it detracts from the music I can't help but notice. Additionally, I feel that "Olsen Olsen" was a perfectly good closer, and the two tracks that come after it are superfluous. Otherwise, it's a very nice listen.

Gorgeous and uplifting album. Every piece of it really fits so well together.

This is definitely an album that I would have never heard had I not decided to join this website, which makes me glad I ultimately decided to. Really cool stuff going on overall throughout the album. The only thing I would say is that I think some tracks are too long. Favorite Tracks: Agaetis byrjun, Viorar vel til loftarasa, Hjartao hamast, Flugufrelsarinn

Jdhsg

Added!

Icelandic Radiohoead. I don't mean that as an insult, I think I like this more than the Radiohead albums we've had so far, but the spirit is similar to me. Some amazing, expansive tracks on here, especially the first few. I recognized a couple, including Starálfur, which was used in Wes Anderson's Life Aquatic, but before I looked that up I honestly thought Radiohead covered that song. The initial strength wore off a little bit, but it was a very comforting album, an extremely pleasant journey. I really dig this kind of music, give us more post-rock ambient stuff like this, Mr. List. Favorite tracks: Starálfur, Svefn-g-englar, Flugufrelsarinn, Ný batterí. Album art: Simple and effective. Some little creature praying in the womb, presumably in a language I don't understand. That's how the music hits me too, and I love it. 4.5/5

I'm doing ok at this game. Listened this album to death back in the day too. It's still dreamy, it's still good, but sounds a little bit old to me.

Good album, was everywhere for a while, but the songs stil hold up. Very relaxing, very chilled, very enjoyable in a low key way. Svefn-g-englar probably my favourite, along with the title track

I didn't know what to expect with this band and boy was I impressed. Nice ambient sounds that remind me of some mellower Radiohead.

Beautiful

Very cohesive and blends together nicely, but each song still manages to stand out in its own way. The album in its entirety makes me nostalgic for something I can no longer remember and it's almost painful to think about that. I enjoyed this listen very much and will check out the artist.

Moody, heavy, I like it

hmmm, we'll see... Was great for background when I was gaming. Daughter hated it in the car. Thumbs Up.

Very interesting and atmospheric album. Giving it a 4 for now, but that might change later on.

Альбом отличный, хорошо ставить как колыбельные, плюс там моя любимая их песня

1999. Starálfur, Olsen olsen

Love this album. Bought it after watching vanilla sky

from the 4th song the brilliant part begins

I actually listened to this album once a year ago and was intrigued when this popped up. To me this is what an album should be, a collection of songs that blend together musically well. The only reason why its 4 stars is because unless it appeared in a study playlist, I wouldn't listen to any of these songs individually. When in the right mood and the right time its a 5 but elsewhere it would be a bit annoying and almost impossible to listen for 70 straight minutes without changing to something else. Great album though

I was an early adopter (pre-Vanilla Sky) of Sigur Ros. A real insider, by virtue of the "staff picks" section at Wherehouse Records in Mt. Pleasant. I loved their first couple records and then lost touch. For me, this record was timed perfectly. As Radiohead abandoned their guitars for synths (which I was good with), I did find myself wanting a band that still captured those spacey and cinematic sounds with traditional instruments. Enter: Sigur Ros. A made-up language? Even better. I saw these guys on the tour for their next record ( ) and it was spectacular. There was a rumor floating around in my musical group of friends (before instant-internet vetting was possible) that Sigur Ros and Radiohead were going to score a musical together and perform it in London. I was as good as on the plane. Didn't happen.

This style of music isn't typically my thing, but I really enjoyed this album. The melodies were really interesting and the instrumentation was cool. I'm not sure if it was spoiled or enhanced by the fact that I can't understand what they were saying. I was initially annoyed seeing so many songs that were 7-10 minutes long, but they really held my attention - which is odd. I actually enjoyed some of the longer songs more than the 3-4 minute ones. In any case, I was leaning towards a "3" through most of this, but I'm giving it a "4" in the context of this list. It really is an album that I think people should listen to, and one that they probably haven't already heard. I'd recommend it.

I was so excited when this popped up. An artist I only really know one track of, but always felt one day I would invest time to listen to and knew I'd love. Three tracks in and I'm hearing wall to wall beauty. I really enjoyed the whole album. It sounds like there is so much space in the sound, like endless skies, towering mountains. Everything I had expected to hear from this artist.

The album was good but it feels like background music a lot of the time.

very good, enjoyed the listens quite a bit.

Great, realxing album. Sigur Ros never fail

Dreamy, magical and very good

Ahh. Was nice to listen to this again after a very long time. It’s hard to imagine ever being at a point in my life where “Staralfur” won’t kind of just stop me in my tracks. I kind of wish that this album was just one amazing song from the next instead of those more ambient moments that are there purely just for mood, but damn… what a unique mood it is. Fuck it, I’m moving to Iceland.

I know it well. Hugely impressive

The instrumentation is very cool, but I really like understanding lyrics and I dont speak icelandic :( still gr8 tho

What a lovely chill albums. Who knows what they are singing about but it puts my hairs on end! Love it.

Great slow mystical debut album post-rock album by Sigur Rós. The lyrics are in Icelandic, but also in their own gibberish language. Not that a would notice which is in which language. The cello-bowed guitar work gives the album a very specific sound.

OK just based on the album and artist name I'm not expecting this to be in English, so I'm preparing to keep that in mind while listening. I'm gonna keep notes a bit more succinct this time. I was right, it's not in English. I found out it's Icelandic. It's very artsy. A bit slow moving. It's not necessarily what I'm in the mood for but I definitely see the merit in it. By song four it almost sounds like a ballad of some sort. Am I crazy, or does this remind me of Switchfoot's less traditional rock songs? I very much enjoyed song eight. Song nine sounds like something I've heard before. IDK what exactly but it's bringing back something. Maybe it reminds me of Coldplay? Like, older Coldplay. Beginning of song ten made me think of Darude and Switchfoot in like .2 seconds of each other, in that order. This was a well crafted album. Not my typical style but I appreciate it for the art that it is.

This was a great album to listen to first thing on a Sunday morning while I’m waking up and relaxing and eating breakfast. Beautiful soundscapes and it makes me wanna visit Iceland more than I did before.

D'excellente qualité, je m'attendais a écouter un album du petit con de Petit Biscuit suite aux allegations de ressemblances colportees par mon compagnon d'ecoute le tres irritable robcouleuvre, mais il n'en etait rien. Une nouvelle opinion desastreuse pour Rob, un nouvel album a reecouter pour moi.

Very chill, but I liked it!

This was a really cool, unique album. I love the sound and the vibe of it and will check out some of their other stuff!

A vast and gorgeous record. Incredible arrangements and soundscapes. Some album can take your somewhere and bring you back. Others can transport you somewhere and just leave to there for a while. This is the latter. Lovely.

Atmospheric and beautiful - songs such as Vidravel are simply epic in scope

Hipnótico, synthpop etéreo, ambient cantado por valquirias islandesas. Totalmente relax.

those lyrics really resonate

I really like this album. It is chilled, atmospheric, easy listening and calming.

Kende het alleen van naam en dat ene liedje. Vind het nog wel oké zweverige muziek. Twijfel tussen 3 (ok) of 4 (zou ik dit bewust eens opzetten?), dus voordeel van de twijfel, en dus - four points from the jury -

Not sure why I've never explored Sigur Ros further than Takk as I really love that album. This one was really cool, but I think it needs a few more listens to properly get my head around it. 7.5/10

Love this album. Great for a lazy Sunday morning. So calming, it reminds me of long bus rides, travelling.

I really enjoyed listening to this! Insane atmosphere even though the vocals sometimes sounded a little whiny. I’m a sucker for the string ensemble/drum machine combo on Staralfur. I feel like this is the kind of music that the lyrics would make or break, but I guess it gets a free pass by being in Icelandic. Every time I think “man this could use a little more energy” there’s a big crescendo or the drums hit or something. I really appreciate the horns as well. There were only a few songs I felt were too long, I think the length worked in most places. Title track is really cool. It’s not every day stuff for me but definitely a cool and interesting listen

No puedo citar nada porque ni idea de lo que dicen, pero me gusta mucho este disco. La verdad es que respeto un montón el trabajo de esta gente y la decisión de hacerlo en su idioma, ojalá más gente se animase (o tuviese la oportunidad de llegar a los canales comerciales, más bien)

A pretty cool album, but definitely not something I'd listen to regularly. Has it's place though

Sounds like the soundtrack to a film of an epic journey - longing, triumphant, poignant, hopeful, sometimes plodding, earnest. Love the subtle incorporation of guitar feedback, so often overdone. Orchestral arrangements are supple and gorgeous. A wonderfully immersive album. My one criticism is that the emotional tone rarely deviates, and for a relatively lengthy album (71 mins), it's a little heavy for a single session of close-ish listening, some moments of levity would help.

Leider war ich gestern überhaupt nicht in der richtigen Laune für die Platte: gestresst, gehetzt, genervt und insgesamt unausgeglichen. Dass sie dabei trotzdem noch so gezündet hat (in wesentlichen Teilen angehört im Stau auf dem Weg zum/vom Baumarkt, wo ich mir Ersatzteile für die korrodierte Abflussleitung vom infolgedessen undicht gewordenen Waschtisch im Drive-In abgeholt habe): Top-Qualität. Ich wünsche mir mehr ruhige Momente mit oder ohne leicht einen sitzen und dann! diesen Monolithen. Find ich wirklich supergut, und ich bin kein Fan von Falsettgesang. 4,4

Whenever I listen to an album intro it just makes me wish I was listening to Mylo Xyloto. ABSOLUTELY LOVE SVEFN-G-ENGLAR Middle was a blur, great for homework Olsen Olsen and Agaetis Byrjun are a great wind down

El disc amb el que tothom va descobrir Sigur Rós. Conté el seu clàssic immortal "Svefn-g-englar" i uns quants temazos més. Recordo que quan vivíem junts al Jordi li agradava molt, tot i que no sé si mai l'havia escoltat sencer atentament. Recuperar-lo al 2021 m'ha fet sentir-lo més comercial i accessible del que recordava, potser perquè el grup ha continuat experimentant i amb el temps s'ha tornat una mica hermètic. L'àlbum és una mica llarg i excessiu, però en tot cas el retrobament ha estat força satisfactori, i m'ha agradat més del que esperava.

very good ambience music but a little repetitive

This is very different to common music, I really loved the atmospheric vibes of the music and the instrumentation is pretty good

Atmospheric, moving Thom Yorke falsetto, eery ethereal piano, otherworldly, emotional

Since it was all in Icelandic it was all about the music and not the lyrics. Interesting, felt a bit like Radiohead.

I discovered Sigur Ros as quite a young teen as was my introduction to more experimental music. Love this. Nostalgia hit.

Weird. Pleasant. Cool. 7/10

Very different. Kinda trippy. This is apparently what everyone on r/guitarpedals wants to play haha The title means "a good start." The art on the cover was drawn by someone with a bic blue pen. This is the groups breakthrough album. I think their third. The group is Icelandic. Makes sense. This sounds like I would expect Icelandic music to sound. Like they wrote it while out on a boat surrounded by glaciers.

This was way more exciting than expected. It's interesting that even though you can't understand a word, the epic and ethereal nature of the music is really enjoyable.

really weird but id definitely give it another listen

A little odd with the trumpet but overall I liked it.

Excellent

This album has a bit of a New Age sound to my ears, though Wikipedia tells me it is an Icelandic rock band. I remember hearing about them before, but I can’t remember exactly why. I like the album pretty well.

Good work music, ambient.

Like Icelandic radiohead- In Rainbows album but with very unique singing

Had some good songs but also some bad ones

Couldn’t understand the words, but the music and melody conveyed a strong emotion

Brings me back. I can see where I stole some of my long drawn out bendy distorted sounds from. Very rich, a bit moreish. Not something I’d listen to everyday but a nice experience to revisit

Such a beautiful album, what a wonderful listening experience.

This is relaxation music gone odd. I like it so far. Good music to relax to. 4

Этот альбом продолжает неделю не моей чашки чая. Запись длится больше часа, что по нынешним музыкальным меркам ну очень долго, при этом под конец приходилось себя даже заставлять дослушать. Что касается самой музыки, мне понравилась атмосфера, которую она создаёт, и то, как Sigur Rós используют голос в качестве ещё одного инструмента.

7/10

7/10

Oddly calming and soothing, there’s an ethereal quality to the music but nothing stood out to me as anything special or whatsoever. Love me some ambience music but couldn’t really get into this one.

You only get two options with Iceland music. Catchy genius or weird shit. This falls into the second category. Eclectic soundscapes. I didn’t hate it but not an easy listen.

Very atmospheric and experimental. Definitely inspired by Radiohead, vocally at least. 3.4/5.0

Sleepy eepy, wel mooi ergens

As an ignorant America the lyrics were lost on me but the songs sounded nice, zen, if you will

Just because it’s in another language doesn’t make it any good.

Beautifully produced, but not really my style. Very cohesive aesthetic. There are some extremely pretty moments on this record, and a few I felt like they compromised to maintain more recognizable structure like hooks and straight drum beats.

This was a fun listen. In the right mood I'd check them out again. 3.5/5

어우 듣기 좋아 베스트: Svefn-g-englar

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 🙂.

Good for calm vibes, but not my favorite kind of music.

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.

wut

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.

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

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

Good road trip music

Really cool and interesting sound! The ambient noise reminded me of MBV enjoyed the kind of spooky/whiny vocals

Fascinating Icelandic music. Not really my style.

Great find! Exactly the sort of album I wanted to discover through this little hobby. Not my cup of tea tho

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!

Random pero me gustó, aparte el autor es fanático de boquita, crack total.

I thought I'd enjoy this more than I did.

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

Isländisch. Sphärisch.

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.

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

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.

It sounded great, but it’s not for my taste.

too sweer

C’est plutôt joli En ambiance

Ganske avslappande og fint. Litt andre instrument innimellom enn det eg høyrer på til vanleg.

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.

It's good but it didn't really click for me

Vibes

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

At times I found this album super interesting, and other times really dull. Not much more for me to say on this one

ethereal

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.

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.

научился легко их узнавать, но любить их не научился, для фона ок - 3

Standouts Staralfur Ny batteri

I did find some elements grating, but overall enjoyed the atmospheric vibes.

I've enjoyed some Sigur Ros before and this was no different. Good relaxing/working music.

Its ight

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.

it was good background music

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.

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.

Okay!

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

Some interesting and unique sounds. Has a cool vibe but I’m not sure I’m the target audience for Icelandic post rock

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

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

I think it’s safe to say I would have liked this better if I understood the words. I liked it well enough without.

Bardzo dobry album, potrzebuje jeszcze raz być przesłuchanym

good to put on in the background

Interesting

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.

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.

This one's hard to rate. I think objectively it was a great album, but it was very hard for me to just get into it. By the time I did the album was almost over.

Actually, this was a pretty chill album and although the names of everything were a bit confusing, since it's Icelanding, it was overall quite nice leaving the album playing in the background. The band seems to be a rock one, but I would say that the whole experience was too chill for a rock album.

In a lot of ways it is beautiful. Its immersive, emotional and brings you into this whole universe that is created. But for me it is just a little to crushing in weight. Everything feels heavy and after a while like a burden and swimming in an weightless world I am never going to get out of. Songs 7-9 gave me a reprieve that I really needed from the heavy feeling of the rest of the album. I had a hard time also deciphering between songs and feeling different emotions during the album, it all felt very one note and somewhat suffocating while also beautiful.

Didn’t really get this one. Ok to listen to I gues s.

New to me

Bit slow in parts.

I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. It was ok, very ambient music type stuff. Might listen to it again if I needed background music but would not search it out. Would not buy it

Ethereal - I suspect it would score higher as I listened more

Forever on the list of bands I need to dig deeper into. A 3 that would will likely rise over time.

surprisingly I liked this a lot actually

I haven't cried yet, or fallen asleep. By the third track I'm mostly wondering how to say bless you in Icelandic. Achooo-o-wooooo Bless you! Achooo-o-wooooo Bless you! Somebody told me 20+ years ago how important this album was and I just didn't get it. I'm trying hard on this relisten to keep an open mind, but the second dream pop album in two days is making me restless so far. Some good stuff later in, ambient but a little more substance. Soundtrack to a movie you couldn't hope to understand (hello, Vanilla Sky). Kinda lost me in the flute zone - it is me, not you. 3.5

Kind of demands your attention despite keeping a drowsy ethereal feel for most of the album. Cant really do anything else while listening to it.

на фон

I’ve heard of Sigur Ros for a long time now but admittedly have never listened to them. I had a rough idea of the type of music they’re known for but I’m two tracks in and can see why they’re renowned. The music is soft but also HUGE at the same time, there’s these lush background layers filling every space. Ethereal. There’s a couple of parts in Starálfur that sound...angelic. Like I’m on my way to the Pearly Gates themselves (I’m not religious btw but that’s what it made me feel lol). My only gripe so far is some of the singing – it’s a great voice don’t get me wrong just some of the way he sings I’m not sure of. Some songs I prefer it to others. I’m torn on my feelings about this – musically it is incredible in its own way there’s no doubt. I have to say I did find my interest waning as it went on. The ambient nature can be an acquired taste, and there’s some ambient music I’ve listened to before that I really like. I guess sometimes it hits you right and sometimes it doesn’t. I could probably listen to this album on another day and feel much different.

supposedly knowing the lyrics are critical to experience this album to its fullest. it feels unfair, but im not here for a reading exercise. the music is pleasant enough. this may be what radiohead sounds like to people who dislike radiohead

A little bit weird... I mean, it s not bad but it sounds like the sounds of nature or sth like that, and it becomes boring after some time, but it would be great for streching of sth. Ohh and realllly long songs, like +10min. And at the end or in the middle is were the lyrics starts, so late, and then it becomes more like interesting and rock thing. (Icelandic)

I've been an admirer, if not exactly a fan, since this album was released. They make some absolutely gorgeous music, and they are certainly unique. But they also tend to go on and on, and overly complicate arrangements to the point of being overwhelmed by the instrumentation. I'm also hot and cold on Jonsi’s vocals. Sometimes really lovely, other times grating. But in the end, the world is a better place with Sigur Ros making its own music and letting us listen in. I saw them in 2005 and the first hour was absolutely stunning. And the last 30 minutes dragged. That's just SR and me

it's a lovely ambient and calming album. my only complaint is that I wasn't listening to this high. 3.5

Very relaxing

No está mal esta frikada

Feels like it should be my cup of tea but is actually just a bit annoying at times. Some of it is beautiful though, mixed bag.

Interesting. Was sceptical at first but it grew on me. The songs were too long for me however, and there wasn’t a lot of difference between them.

- meno on ku legendaarisessa radiohead pyramid song hidastettu 800%, eli hyvä - sigur ros on nimenä ollut tuttu melko pitkään mutta kärsivällisyys ei oo riittänyt tutustumaan lähemmin - on kyl mielettömiä melodioita ja upee tunnelma, kylmiä väreitä pukkaa - ei ehkä päivittäiseen kuunteluun mutta kyllä tälle on varmasti aikansa ja paikkansa

"Icelandic Post-Rock" is a new phrase in my music genre vocabulary and to be honest I didn't hate what I heard. It was a fantastic soundtrack to me setting up my classroom in the morning and I can see this being the perfect accompaniment to a rainy or cold morning. I don't know if I would listen to this record under any other circumstance. I also don't know if it is something I would return to after my time listening to it as part of this experience. Because of that I'm giving it a 3/5. Thankful to it for expanding my sphere of genres I've listened to but not enough here to make me a convert to the genre.

3/5

This was pleasant enough, I suppose. But didn't really get me there. 3

Sounded kinda cool I guess, but no specific songs really stuck out to me

I was surprised how much I liked this…good chill vibes

I liked this, laid back for 400

Dreamlike. Good ambience but gets a bit long in spots.

Good for background music. Not at all what I was expecting!

:)

Something this project has taught me is that I generally like high energy music. Across genres, I am way more likely to fuck with something if it's got some kind of energy behind it. Failing that, brilliant lyricism tends to be the only hope for a low energy album to remain in my good graces. I liked some of the higher energy options well-enough.

interesting

It's a good album if a bit monotonous

Never would've found this. Probably wouldn't listen again. Very ethereal, but not bad.

NK

Donnerstag, 26.03.2026 ~ Vormittags ~ In der U3 auf dem Weg zur Uni.

Donnerstag 26.03.2026 Ringbahn und U3 aufm Weg zur Uni, Aufenthaltsraum 2. Stock Campusbibliothek

разок послушала - вроде красиво, интересно. второй раз послушала - очень занудно))

Fairly interesting album, very atmospheric and chilled. But not the most exciting in my opinion. Appreciated it, but not my favourite.

I listened the heck out of this album when I was 17. What?!? More music out of Iceland (that’s not Bjork). Made up language lyrics? Let’s see if it holds up. Ok, this album feels like soaking in a warm bath. Do I love it as much as I did in 1999? No. Did I ever really like it or was I trying to get a return on purchase of my CD? Cost per listen? In any case, great album that has lost some lustre (for me. I get it that people love this record). Fave track remains Olsen Olsen. Necessary on the list. Hovering just below a 4/5.

I see why people like this but it’s not my thing

Definitely gave me a new perspective on music. Very long for my taste.

I get why so many people I know love this band. I just don't

Was weird and different

Very interesting. Enjoyed it, not something I'd normally listen to.

Very dreamy and ambient, complete with the interesting language that is Icelandic. Didn't really do much else for me, though. A lot of the reviewers seemed to have been wowed by this record, so I kind of feel like I've missed something here. I sort of felt exhausted as I neared the end. The production is great, don't get me wrong, so I guess the novelty wore thin with the lengths of some of these tracks.

Average. Quite melodic in places, got lost in the noise in a few places. Enjoyed listening by the pool in Tenerife.

This hits a lot of the things I like - post-rock, dreamy, synth-y, but it didn't impress me or hold my attention. It's like overly emotional in the way that makes it feel performative. That sounds like terrible, meaningless criticism, but it's something I've found in a few albums on this list. Perhaps the emotions are authentic to the artists who contributed to the album, but to me, this feels plastic like a simulation of emotion rather than the emotion itself. It's nice to listen to and entertaining but too perfect, too polished, and inauthentic.

wasn't vibing w/ it at first but it grew on me. def need to relisten

Definitivt häftigt men inte riiiktigt min grej

Rätt nice! Inte vad jag väntade mig.

Музыка норм но эта воющая залупа пиздец

Expected sub-Radiohead noodling, but was pleasantly surprised by the variety of sounds and moods. Yes, it's experimental, which normally translates as "unlistenable", but I actually enjoyed this. It would be a great soundtrack to a Moomins film. Hemulens would enjoy this. And yes, I do know they're singing in Icelandic and not Swedish... Hate the cover though. That foetus is a scary bugger.

I listened to most of this album while finishing a Lego Flower Set for my wife on Valentine's Day. The music was pleasant enough & stimulating enough to make the building process go by like it was nothing. At times it reminded of Radiohead. The sonic soundscapes are interesting. I don't think I'd listen to again but I did enjoy it. 3

3.5

Pretty but also boring. Every track sounds basically the same. Listened once and that was probably enough.

A beautiful ambient album with classical-sounding instruments and Icelandic vocalizations. A good album if you're looking to wind down. I learned that "Starálfur" was used in The Life Aquatic and it makes so much sense. Very Wes Anderson coded

I enjoyed this when it first came out. I think the band got even better on subsequent albums. 3 stars.

I thought this album was great working music and solid vibes

My dad asked me if I was meditating at a spa while I listened to this.

oh post-rock you are always a hit or miss for me at first I was sure this was a miss it does have some good sounds, but overall feels more of a spiritual experience (for some maybe) than a musical (what I was expecting) was getting hard to sit through crazy how it is so hughly-rated maybe I am just undeveloped idk it does however sound very interesting and novel so bonus points for that

There's some really pretty moments to this, but unfortunately a lot of it ends up as musical wallpaper. Pretty good album for listening to while you work, though!

Hard for me to rate this. Much more of an ambient, kind of drone thing than what I was expecting. Genuinely really beautiful in parts, could really do without the ASMR in Bamm Bamm though.

It’s like the generator read my review from yesterday praising 35 minute albums and wanted to test me today. Heard of this band because I think some of their music was in a movie or show I watched years ago, but completely unfamiliar with their sound so this will be a brand new listen. Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou! Right in their Wikipedia page. I do like the sound of this Life Aquatic song. Early on in the album and I think I’m going to like plenty of this sound, but maybe not 71 minutes worth of it. This seems influential to the sound of some indie music that came later. Very much atmospheric and spacey. It’s a nice sound, but overall feels more like something I would throw on in the background. There’s nothing I particularly dislike here, but overall the long songs are something I’m less likely to re-listen to. It feels like every song also has a moment where it becomes something else to transition into the following track. That being said, there is a real nice sound to a lot of this. Even if it’s not all entirely for me. I think there’s a stretch of a songs toward the end of the album that I really enjoyed so think I’ll settle on a 3. (Tracks 8 and 9, didn’t like the closer). This feels like the album when you’re in the mood for, it would be great. But I don’t think I would often be in the mood for it. If I need to focus and get some work done, this might be a perfect sound to have on. It’s somehow both original and forgettable.

Very worthwhile addition to the list, but a bit to pedestrian for my taste.

It was nice but difficult to listen to.

It's OK. I do appreciate that it's a new language. Not the only thing they have in common with Cocteau Twins. (They don't actually sound like Cocteau Twins, though, so if you like them, don't assume.) There is something atmospheric and beautiful about their music, but it is not really my cup of tea.

2.5 RYM

Overall I liked this album, but every once in a while they would add the strangest choice in sound. And I'd go from following the music with them to wanting to throw things at my speakers. Pour quotes?!

With the albums we’ve heard this week I wasn’t expecting much, and it started off a bit slow, but the rest of the album was actually not too bad.

Sigur Rós – Ágætis Byrjun Ágætis Byrjun is an "on Mars" technical achievement that unfortunately hits a "lyrics barrier" before it can make a true personal impact. While the production is "immaculate"—delivering a "cinematic" and "ambient" atmosphere that rivals the best of Radiohead—the lack of relatable substance makes it hard to fully "unlock" the experience. I can admire the "sophisticated" musicianship and the "eerie" beauty of the cello-bowed guitars, but without a lyrical connection, the songs often feel like a "pretty average" wash of sound. "Olsen Olsen" stands out as the lone highlight that managed to break through, but the rest of the LP lacks the "replay value" needed for my permanent rotation. A respectful 3/5 for a "triumphant symphony" that remains just out of reach.

3.5. Lovely and very appropriate for the Icelandic weather we have.

ik vond het heel cool en mooi en ben wel blij dat t in deze lijst stond, maar ik zou dit soort muziek voor de rest niet uit mn eigen luisteren ook vond ik het soms een beetje te veel van t zelfde

Ok but , not my favorite

Very trippy, out of this universe, slow

it's 3.5

I've avoided Sigur Ros for decades and now I'm mildly surprised at this very orchestral record. I understand it's revolutionary, and I agree it's alright but ultimately not my thing.

j'ai cru j'étais dans le ventre de ma mère (le fait de pas connaitre la langue rajoute un plus) puis dans une foret enneigée ou jsp

Унылый меланхоличный пост-рок на ирландском. Под соответсвующее настроениие зайдёт ок. Очень чувствуется влияние протяжных песен radiohead с ноющим вокалом

I really like it, but there's something possibly a little to earnest about it even for me. Maybe just the mood I'm in.

Great background music. Maybe I need to re listen and immerse.

Soothing

Very pretty but it does get slightly dreary.

Listened

Sigur Rós es una banda islandesa, de rock experimental que lanzan este disco a fines de los noventas conviviendo con discos como kid A y amnesiac quienes claramente lo influencian al igual que la artista más reconocida de su país Björk. Querían hacer un disco que cambiara las cosas y contribuyó un poco al nuevo movimiento de post rock, este género de rock que no encajaba con lo previamente conocido y que venía a romper el esquema del britpop que ya por esos años ya dejaba de ser novedad. Tuve que ver alguna reseña y leer un poco de que hablaba, y habla sobre la vida, el nacimiento, la portada lo gráfica muy bien. Es un disco de música muy ambiental. Lo más parecido hasta ahora de lo que salió fue el moon safari, pero este es mucho más analógico por lo que me gusta más. Fueron de los primeros que empezaron a usar guitarras con arcos lo que les da un sonido característicos. Incluyen muchos instrumentos, de viento, de cuerda, tiene voces angelicales, tal como lo querían, imitando la voz de Tom yorke o Bjork. El idioma lo hace ser un disco difícil de comercializar, pero a mí me transmito varias emociones, cada canción parecía un mundo nuevo, para mí es un 3 bien puesto Canción favorita: Flugufrelsarinn

Dope album cover! Not my style of music though.

This was interesting! I enjoyed listening but nothing exactly stood out to me. Feels slightly overrated as far as electronic, downbeat music goes. But a good listen overall and would revisit.

Bleak, chilly soundscapes - one track was dangerously close to Coldplay. Fine whilst I was running the vacuum cleaner around.

Kinda of a chill listen

Overall Rating - 2.90/5 (5.80/10). Odd and atmospheric. Mostly pleasant.

It’s a vibe, that’s for sure.

It does not belong here

A nice "close your eyes and be immersed" sort of album

Well that was something... Like Icelandic Radiohead...weird...a little whiny...poppy hooks at moments...orchestral instruments at others...not my cup of tea

I didn't understand a lick of it, but it sounded ok. Intro ★★★☆☆ Svefn‐g‐englar ★★★☆☆ Starálfur ★★★☆☆ Flugufrelsarinn ★★★☆☆ Ný batterí ★★★☆☆ Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm) ★★★☆☆ Viðrar vel til loftárása ★★★☆☆ Olsen Olsen ★★★☆☆ Ágætis byrjun ★★★☆☆ Avalon ★★★☆☆ Average Album Rating: 3.0/5.0 ★★★☆☆

A very interesting album. Loved the sound.

Nice calming album, good for background

It’s ok. Spacey and prog.

Fine

Ambient, futuristic. Wondering how it was received in '99. Not the vibe on the day I listened but a nice atmosphere.

I have this and enjoy it more for the albums mood than tracks. It’s over an hour of chill and relax.

Cheeoh ooooooo

suena xulo d pelotas pero m puso triste triste triste

Parts are very good. Others are just too much musical noodling with lots of lengthy intros and outros. I don’t think this is for me and really feel like I am missing context either musically or culturally to understand why this is deemed a masterpiece.

6/10 I quite like it, but it is so mono-paced (or at least has a top speed of about 41mph) that I find it a struggle to fully engage with it. I have to check every so often to see if we've reached the end - it is too long - but it provided a reasonable background to my first day back to work in the new year

5.5/10

This was a very interesting album, that was much more ethereal than I expected. I’ll probably revisit but it certainly would not be on rotation.

Cool but quite the slog to get through

5 - AVERAGE

Probably need to listen to this a few times

It's okay.

If I spoke Icelandic it would prob have more impact but the instrumentals and vocals are relaxing

Interesting album, probably needs more than one listen to get to grips with it

This is a difficult album for me to review as the lyrics are all in Icelandic, so it's hard to really get the gist of what Sigur Rós are talking about here, but I will say that 'Agætis Byrjun' is very well produced, and sounds like an orchestra playing on in your dreams. There's hints of Radiohead, Ride and Cocteau Twins all across this dream-like record, and it's a perfect accompaniment for periods of deep reflection and meditation, as it helps centre your mind. Just don't expect to pick anything up lyrically unless you understand Icelandic. Best songs: Svefn-g-englar, Flugufrelsarinn, Ný batterí

A very broad soundscape of an album. Impressive production. I enjoyed it, but its not an album i would listen to again.

Lovely soundscape. Eno could learn a thing or two from these guys

The music is pretty decent and interesting, but is all stretched way too long. Just an insufferably long active listen.

Strong start but then it wafted away toward the end--a little too much ethereal falsetto.

5/10

interesting background music

Man I realize they put a lot of work into this. Hearing it described - made up languages/trippy music/etc always made me want to hear it in the past, but unfortunately nothing really grips the ear. May try again.

I liked it but also reminded me of something but im not quite sure. I couldn’t tell if it made me feel relaxed or sad or kind of a yearning for something but I don’t know what. Interesting

Zu esoterisch für mich.

Great sounds. Just not my cup of tea.

Not the best to listen to in the car. I don’t think this is supposed to be an ambient album. Had some enjoyable moments

Not bad, different, chill vibes for sure. Icelandic

Intro : ok. Toune #2 : ha non pas la maudite toune fatiguante de café de flore... (YIOUUUOUUU) Ha tiens de la guit électrique jouée à l'archet, première fois que je remarque ça, interessant. Il y a beaucoup de cordes et d'orchestration en général. Ça me fait penser à Radiohead souvent, les ambiances et aussi les voix. Fun fact, c'est leur seul album en islandais, sauf une piece dans une langue gibberish, leurs albums suivants seront dans ce gibberish. J'ai bien aimé la tounette avec les bamm bamm bamm

Singur Ros is very pretty. I'm never going to put it on, but I like it.

This was OK, but I just don’t think I was in the mood at 6 o’clock in the morning

Hey… I was a fetus in 1999

Feels very cinematic. I don't think it's something I'd revisit but it's better than it could be.

I've never listened to this album (61). Makes me want to sleep.

Als ik me inbeeld dat ik in Ijsland ben is het wel echt goed