Ágætis Byrjun

Atmospheric foetus music

too spaced out for me

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.

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 🥱

It was ... fine.

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.

Pretty good

Normally don't like this genre but this is good for what it is.

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 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.

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.

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.

6.2/10

Not Takk, but ok

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.

= The Beatles

Normally not my thing. Can't explain why this is ok to my brain.

Eigentlich 3,5 Sterne. Aber leichte Tendenz zu 3, weil die Ausreißer nach oben nicht ganz für 4 reichen.

Ngl I was floating to a good portion of this.

ny batteri and bamm bamm bamm just blew my shit apart

Loved the first half but them it dropped off for me on the second half. A great listen.

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.

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.

Lo-fi music to bleed out in the snow to

Psychedelic, calming, funky.

Some nice songs, but some stuff is a little too out there...

Interesting but not sure I heard any bowed guitar.

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.

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

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.

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.

Un peu particulier, je dois reconnaître que je n’ai pas vraiment été emballée par cette écoute…

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.

ok galera não é ruim não mas foge bastante do meu escopo

Some truly beautiful stuff on here, however, there is a lot of down time. 7/10

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

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 ⭐️

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.

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

Hauntingly beautiful

Pleasant in the background. ★★★

Interesting but not something I would listen to again.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Going to come back to this one

Seems to be a great album to enjoy while alone with your thoughts.

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?

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

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.

3 stars

Interesting and unusual sounds. Glad to have listened to it but not sure I would re listen.

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.

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

interesting

3/5

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.

Strays into melodrama, missing a little edge. Not Sigur Ros's best album for me

like aphrodite twin missed with pink floyd

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.

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!

Different. Listenable

Cool sound but nothing super entertaining

I found this really interesting and could definitely see myself listening to it more to really dig into it. So different to the last few albums I’ve listened to. At its best you get transported away into a peaceful plane of existence and the music washes over you. I was definitely in this category for a few songs on the bounce and into solid 4 territory. However at times I found the vocals a bit discordant, it was like they were needed to tie the music together but a bit grating, particularly on the first two songs. Then towards the end of the album there were a few songs that had a more chaotic vibe I didn’t enjoy as much. A close miss on a 4 and might be one that over time I grow to enjoy more, but it’s a strong 3 on first listen.

Initial reaction was this is premium meditation songs.  An upgrade from whale noises or the lapping waves of the sea.  I did start thinking the vocals were also an annoying distraction that just repeats over the top.  Caveat I was listening in the car which is poor audio for the first attempt! Anyway ended up listening to the album twice with different points of reference e.g. car, during intense periods of work, chilling etc. Now if I was wanting to chill or have as background for focus I think this fulfils the brief well. I did however find that if I wanted to immerse in the music I found it was equal measure annoying as stimulating as different parts did repeat and become cumbersome so had a simple foundation for each song. However musically they did add depth to the song with the different sounds and interplay of vocals etc. On balance a very interesting album that I would not naturally gravitate to but for which I am better off as a result of 1001. A must to re-visit I think but elements of it for now which niggle at me which prevent me from elevating this to the top tier in my rotation.

I do not dislike these songs but I don’t think most of them needed to be 7-10 minutes. But what do I know, I’m not Icelandic

Atmospheric music with some real beautiful moments. Not sure when I would listen to this again in full as it runs a bit long for what it is. Worth the listen though.

This was alright, feel l won't revisit but I can appreciate what it was, to be honest I can't really remember much about it other than it was angelic? Possibly...

Favorite Track: Staralfur

Weird. Fun. Relaxing. Ethereal. Scandanavian.

Un disco que dejé de lado mucho tiempo, las portadas normalmente son mi principal incentivo para escuchar un álbum, y ver esta junto a discos de Swans, Explosions in the Sky y similares bandas de post-rock en tops de RYM me hacían saber que era un álbum importante. Lamentablemente, Sigur Ros sigue siendo una banda a la cual no puedo entender de la manera que pinta su trayectoria y su fanaticada. Ágætis Byrjun es un album lento, en instantes catatónico, o monumental, o muy intimo, en otros llega a ser explosivo y llamativo, logrando retener mi atención, pero lamentablemente estos instantes duran la nada. Mientras escuchaba el álbum pensaba: esto suena a si Coldplay hubiese escuchado más Bjork que Radiohead e intentaran hacer un álbum de Godspeed You! Black Emperor pero cantado en islandés. Mucho piano, mucha ambience pero hay momentos donde te recuerdan "Oye, seguimos siendo una banda de rock". El bajo, como en todo el post-rock, es el hilo conductor para las canciones más interesantes. Es innegable la calidad musical que cada pieza tiene. Y, salvo las voces, está mezclado espectacularmente. Pero sufre algo que siempre me alejará del post-rock, los momentos "post" (digase el ambient, la instrumentalización orquestal, los pasajes repetitivos) le quitan todo lo interesante a los momentos "rock". Mi canción favorita fue Ny Batteri, luego Olsen Olsen, y lo que menos me gustó fue la letárgica primera mitad que antecede Ny Batteri. Si este álbum fue considerado mejor que "Lift Your Skinny Fists...", entonces el post rock no es para mi. Mi nota es un 5.5-6/10

Interesting record. They made up a language of babbling for this. There are some gorgeous tracks, but I never connected with this album in a way that made me want to listen to it again.

New band to me. Have heard there name but don’t think I’ve heard a song before. Songs: viorar vel til loftarasa, Olsen olsen

Sigur Ros is like Icelandic Explosions in the Sky and I'm cool with that. Plus the use of Staralfur in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou rules.

Beautiful music, not going to inspire you to go kick ass - but probably after a long hard day with a glass of wine or whiskey to unwind to.

Muy ambiental

A dreamy atmospheric album. Beautiful background music but just not something I can really engage with.

Unexpected. Excellent.

I enjoyed that a lot. Always have had a soft spot for SR since the Vanilla Sky soundtrack. Icelandic Radiohead. Not for everyone. But grows on you with each listen. Not quite a 4. 3.75

3/5. Intriguing and quite beautiful. I’ve listened to songs people have written in Tolkien’s elvish, and this reminds me of that.

I tend to enjoy ethereal dreamscapes. But even I think this album is way too long. Still, there’s some good stuff here. 3/5

Super ambient chill music Favorite songs: Flugufrelsarinn, Ny Batteri, Hjartad Hamast, Svefn-g-englar Least favorite songs: Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa 3/5

Ethereal chill vibes. Sometimes a little repetitive, yes sometimes rather challenging. Overall an interesting and pleasant listening.

Interesting…didn’t love it but didn’t hate it. It just struggled to get traction in my opinion

Like the Icelandic Radiohead? This album truly needs you to listen to it, when you do it’s easier to appreciate. But it also does nothing to hold my attention there. I’m sure there’s lots of people that will love this, but not for me.

C14 must have heard this

Angelic in nature

Sigur Rós: Ágætis Byrjun This was a really interesting album - even in Icelandic. This is great for background or soothing listening.

This album is beloved by a great many people. I am not one of those people. The musicianship is great, and obvious, but it does nothing for me at this point in my life.

I liked the intro Too slow for My taste

I bet this would hit hard on a 10 degree winter day when you're surrounded by a foot of snow. On a 90 degree day in June? Not as much.

Ikkje heilt for meg

this album feels like it should be right up my alley, but it feels too lush and peaceful. too much of a good thing?

good but not quite there

This was a strange vibe. I could maybe see myself listening to it on a rainy day but not sure when else. I did not like the harmonica on “hjartao hamast”

Peculiar listen, will have to try again

Cover 8 An ok album. on first listen, only one or two songs caught my attention. Over all, no bad songs but nothing great.

Sigur Ros has such a unique sound, but this wasn't my favorite album by them. Still good, but it felt like it was missing something at times. 3.5/5

Interesting, liked but didn’t love.

Pleasant enough background instrumental music.

Liked it, and would probably have liked it even more if I gave it my full attention/could understand what is being sung.

I can see it. I really can. But it's a bit samey and the translated lyrics are ok. 3.5

Reminds me of late-era Radiohead; Good, but not at all catchy.

I've been meaning to hear this album for a long time and now thanx to the 1001Generator I have & I'm simply not hearing what a lot of others have heard and that's greatness. To me this is not a great album. It's a good, interesting album, the last two tracks being my favorites. A lot of it just sounds like soundtrack music, most of it has a sadness about it that reminds of Big Star and no of course I'm not saying they sound a thing like Big Star I'm saying both this album & the bulk of Big Star's back catalog have a similar kind of sadness to them. It's interesting enough & has a massive enough reputation that I will do something that I rarely do when an album is just average to me and that's replay it. I will hear it a few more times during the week & see if anything changes if it does, I'll update my rating, of course. I didn't dislike anything about it but outside of the last two tracks it just seemed like variations of the same soundtracky song played over & over. Maybe I just don't get it or maybe it's just not for me - I'll see if I come to any conclusion by week's end.

another artist/band I generally know of but don't know that much about. seeing "10 songs - 1 hour 11 minutes" scared me but the thing about post-rock is that you can kind of just tune it out and have it as nice background noise. great music to fall asleep or study to. I don't speak icelandic so I wasn't really able to get anything out of the lyrics though, and it didn't really grab my attention enough to be much more than some nice background noise - even if it does sound really pretty at times. favorite song - staralfur (that melody is really pretty) overall - 6/10

i like this type of music and I like icelandic musicians but for some reason sigur rós always lacked the oomph for me

I really enjoy this music as it is cinematic and has a big sound. I think it also suffers from sounding so profound that it ends up being a mile wide and an inch deep. I cannot confuse the profoundness with the gotta get down’ness

If I really sat down with this one and focused on it, maybe I'd get into it over time. But it feels a bit long and drawn out. There's definitely some interesting songs here and I think the last couple songs are the best - but I dunno maybe this just feels pretentious and overly ambitious without enough payoff for me. It's not bad it's not great, it's just....there.

Decent

Nice album with ambient and orchestra sounds and music combined. Sometimes the orchestra climaxes seem out of place.

Sounds like the Icelandic Mazzy Star. Interesting listen.

Pretty good, didn’t love it.

Nice chilled album for a Sunday morning

point2.

It was good nice instrumentals

This was a solid album listen that was more eccentric and experimental than most of the music I listen to. I don’t know if it was my taste per se but I can see why people like it. It did kind of put me to sleep towards the end but I would recommend it to others in an effort to diversify their music listening!

I'd probably bump this up a star if it wasn't for the vocals (and to be clear it's not because they were in another language)

Neat sounds, and I like the singing in Icelandic. Very different than what I would normally listen to.

Pretty good ambient/post-shoegaze album. Glad the vocals are in Icelandic because I don’t think having understandable lyrics would have worked for me. Sometimes forgot it was on so possibly a bit boring but there were enough interesting bits to bring me back in.

Staralfur was good but was a bit much to listen to the whole album of this style

Listening to this album was like jumping through many calm dreams and some turbulent ones as well. This album was unlike something I've heard before. I thought most of the tracks were good, but none too outstanding. Overall, I feel like this album would be great for enhancing an outdoor walk or for drifting you to sleep. Favourite Track(s): Olsen olsen Least Favourite Track(s): Avalon

Not for me

Going into this I was only familiar with "Hoppípolla", which I love. This entire album was a similar vibe to that song, which was both good and bad. The production and song composition are beautiful, however this thing can start to drag as it goes on. Regardless I'm excited to explore more from this group.

The band that put together this album is from Iceland. I think this is the first Iceland group so far. The music is a fusion of outer space and rock, with a bit of classical. The record started great but got weaker as it progressed. Nevertheless, it was different from most albums and reasonably nice to listen to.

Really didn’t jump at me - it’s fine and soothing but nothing really bar svefn-g-englar grabbed me

Great if I'd be 16 and in my emo phase

This was a weird listening experience. I'd heard of Sigur Ros before, and maybe had unfair expectations of their music from the hype I'd heard. This album wasn't unpleasant to listen to. Quite the contrary, it felt almost transcendental at times. But in the end I didn't really get much from it. I liked the music fine enough, but I don't feel I'd search it out again.

Nice but dont understand what theyre saying

This could be a record to put on, on ocasion, it is slow but makes the environment known, and filled with magical sounds and hang out to, a landmark in the band's discography.

First listen

3.5

This album stuck to me when I lost my dad and when some of my older friends were sick and who are now gone.

Different and very soothing, I liked it but ultimately it didn't hold my interest.

I can't believe this was produced in 1999. The quality sounds like it could've been produced yesterday. I've looked up the lyrical translations and they're beautiful and somewhat grim/haunting. -Starálfur -Flugufrelsarinn -Ágætis byrjun

Ethereal, evocative and Icelandic. I didn’t understand a word of it but it felt moving - like a movie score.

Schwer zu bewerten. Schön mal was anderes und neues zu hören, ein Sound der hier noch nicht war. Dafür macht man dieses Projekt. Allerdings kann ich trotzdem musikalisch keine 4 Sterne geben

A very pleasant surprise, I'd never heard of them before, I enjoyed almost everything on this album, but it is not perfect, there is nothing that I thought was truly great and most songs would have been better half as long. I will try to seek out more of this band and this genre.

This grew on me through listen 2. There's some genuinely gorgeous sounds in this album, but other moments that let it down. The popular track, Svefn-g-englar was one I actually found the most annoying, funnily enough. Olsen Olsen was blissful. Really, I don't know how to feel, but this record is well produced, I have to give it that. 6.5/10

I thought it was good when I first listened but time has only jaded me further. I enjoy the low dense rumbles on some tracks, and when the album stops the auto play is always banging but that's where the true highlights stop. This album just can't avoid the folksy /mu/-core ass production. The back half of this album ends up sounding like a more Ambient version of neutral milk hotel or the Microphones, which doesn't suit the sound at all imo. I also just find the vocalist to be annoying. Definitely not a bad album tho, it's just aight. I'd reach for Eno, Aphex Twin or even the softer tracks of Nine Inch Nails over this any day 6/10

Nah dawg, you’re gonna have to miss me with the ten minute long songs in a made up language with titles ripped from the pages of the IKEA catalog.

Was alright. Atmospheric. Mostly a made me want to listen to Radiohead.

Need to relisten

This is a hard one for me to rate, on the one hand this is exactly the kind of thing I hoped to discover from doing this list. This is not likely something I would've ever listened to if not for this, and the highs were exceptional. Unfortunately I feel like it was just missing that, something extra, to really lift it up. I'm giving this a 3, but it's about as close as one could get to a 4 without being a 4.

I enjoyed this, although it is at times quite longwinded. It has some really special moments and build-ups, but other sections can feel a bit boring and repetitive (although I'm sure that is the point). 3.5

Hipster elevator music

I feel like its an album to listen to and relax, but if you asked me to sing out loud I would struggle to sing along with it. Not that it is a bad quality per se.

I'm not all the way there with it yet, but I think I could be one day. 3.5/5

It would be good going to sleep but I wasn’t so it wasn’t as good. At specific moments this is a 10 but other than that it’s a a good 6-7 and the mood I was in was sitting around there. All sorta blended together well so that might be a reason it is highly rated. Good mix of shoegaze, ethereal guitars, vocals in the background and I love me some alt indie. Lowkey might need to re listen later on at night to get the full experience. 7.4/10 3.7/10

Not something I'd usually go for but it was very enjoyable. Much more relaxing than the kind of music that normally gets called "chill"

I felt like I just zoned out in a sauna on Jupiter. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I think it’s humourous that Icelandic wasn’t foreign enough of a language for the lyric sheet of this album; they had to develop a new form of gibberish to complete the authentic feel of alien music.

Not bad. It's along the lines of Brian Eno and Aphex twin

I haven’t heard from Sigur Rós in years, but it felt like they were everywhere in the 2000s. This is a very pretty album, but does feel like a product of its time. Some real lush string work and vocal harmonising on this album throughout. I appreciate it more than enjoy it.

Interesting. I’m glad that I spent the time to listen to this and learn about this artist

2.75

really hard to make it through the whole album but by golly we did it, sort of gave a more annoying evanescence vibe. i struggle to enjoy droning rock but had some cool moments in the beginning

Nice to have something a bit different in here. Very pleasant in places and easy to listen to in the background. Some tracks went on a bit too long but others seemed to suit the longer length.

The type of music you want to listen to when sitting on a glacier, whale watching! Very chilled in places and anthemic in others, but every song was too long. There was a couple I really liked and good to have something a bit different on the list.

Elf sex music. Feels very much of its time as it had me feeling vibes of some contemporaries like Air, Zero 7 and the Polyphonic Spree. It’s definitely at the more accessible end of post-rock, and I feel it has just as much in common with a euphoric pop/chill out record. Anyway, it’s pleasant with a consistent and atmospheric vibe, and a couple of highlights. Solid but not spectacular. I’ll add it to the music while working playlist. I did see them once headlining at a festival but didn’t bother to watch much, gave up to go watch Dinosaur Jr instead.

Pretty solid but idk

One of those rare albums that without a doubt needs to be on this last that I can’t really stand. I dunno I’m not in the mood for this. Maybe in 10 years when I’m depressed that the world is ending or something and some new Tower of Babel-esque disaster occurred that led to all language being lost I can do it. I dunno whatever

I enjoyed most of the tracks, but I wish they would lean more into their ambient sound

It has its moments even after finishing, but I don't connect with it as a whole. It feels long and drawn out, and I don't feel engaged with the record throughout the listen. It has moments that bring so much of it together, but those moments don't connect with songs for me. This must be that bliss hidden in another review for another day for the hard four and hard five crowds. Interestingly, an engineer on this record did work on the Judas Priest record Stained Class, which is a record I truly connect with, and Halford, well, he is another time. I would give this a 2.75 out of 3. So, for the list, it's a 3, but it does feel uneven; I will return and update, but I don't see myself calling this essential unless it hits that bliss throughout.

2025-02-22

Easy, peaceful and relaxing aura from this soundscape of an album. What seems like an M83 band but who are Icelandic, they don’t miss. 7.4/10.

There were some great moments — the intro and following track most notably. Some felt a bit too theatrical for my taste, but a good album overall. 3 stars.

This is so ethereal, as if I'm entering a trance. It's unfortunate that I don't understand Icelandic because I'm sure their lyrics are good, too.

Quite nice but quite weird. Sounds almost like English but it’s clearly not 6/10

Das ist definitiv Kunst und interessant. Aber keine einfache Kost ;)

Alright ambient electronic. Nothing stood out to me though

Suprisingly touching and really good Ambient, instrumental music If you want to relax of rethink your life. Songs all sounded a Bit Similar though and im Not the biggest Fan of the singer

I remember when these guys came out - big props to inventing their own language to sing in?! Very ambient, background film scorey, I liked it

3/4

This album gets off to a strong start with the powerfully slow and dense "Svefn-g-englar" but lets up a bit, dissolving into fragments that sometimes sound more like a film score than a collection of songs. No accident these guys opened for Radiohead. I'm listening to it on a warm spring day and it's making me want to take a nap. But I could see putting this on in a certain nocturnal, creative, dark-night-of-the-soul mood.

Really interesting sounding. I liked parts but can’t say i loved it overall

Pretty good. Good enough to listen to twice

This was pretty interesting... I prefer this Icelandic music to Björk, that's for sure

Fine

Yeah

One of the more interesting albums from this list so far. Enjoyed it but wasnt the biggest fan. Reminds me of a spacey icelandic radiohead.

Yesterday may have been one of the only days I could resonate with the album, as I lay in the darkness, too sick and too sensitive to light to do anything besides that, and insert some headphones and listen to the album. The melancholic tracks stream over me, sometimes evoking senses of early Pink Floyd, and even a softer, Piano-heavy Coldplay...Icelandic versions of course. The songs are peaceful and intriguing, but is it an album you have to hear before you die? That's debatable. However, if I take it for what it is, an Icelandic post-rock album, perhaps it is a groundbreaking album. For that, I give it 3 stars

I liked parts a lot but I could not care to listen through the ambient parts that lasted way too long. Similar to radiohead I just don’t get it

Well that was odd

A bit weird, but good background music

La portada del álbum es muy apropiada, ya que al escuchar este álbum te sientes como un feto dentro del vientre de tu madre. Música atmosférica, muy bien producida y muy, pero que muy, lenta. No es que tenga nada en contra del post-rock o de la música atmosférica en general, al contrario, me relaja. Además, nunca le había prestado a Sigur Rós la atención que se merecen. Entiendo la fama, aunque, aparte de la buena producción y la calidad musical, este álbum tampoco me ha dicho gran cosa. 3.5 por su significancia dentro de su contexto histórico, y por su calidad en general.

I don't hate it, it's pretty relaxing, except for the section of Svefn-G-Englar where he's repeating "It's you" or whatever over and over which just grates.

Was a god listen. And of godspeed-y vibes that I can get behind. Grew on me as the album played.

Grandiose, dreamlike, ethereal, cinematic, inscrutable, demanding, boring, Hopelandic gibberish. Favorite track: Svefn-g-englar. Least favorite track: Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm)

From the album, my four favorite songs were Starálfur, Flugufrelsarinn, Viðrar vel til loftárása, and Olsen Olsen.

creeps...

High threes, Sigur Ros just sound like something completely different.

My kind of music. Lots of ambient soundscapes. I recognise the chorus of the 2nd song, Svedberg-g-englar. I quite like the 4th song Flugufrelsarinn and 6th Hjarto hamast I really like the 7th, Viorar vel til loftarasa I quite like the 8th and 9th song I would listen to again

Fine but didn't engage me enough to buy the album.

I knew that song from The Life Aquatic is from Sigur Ros, but I didn’t realize it was this album. I do love that song from the memory it gives me of the movie (I’m a huge Wes Anderson fan). Overall as an album this was pleasant and interesting, but nothing I’d seek out or likely listen to again. Still good, though.

All albums will be 1, 3 or 5 stars, with no further commentary or explanation given.

Muzak, but good

This album certainly has its moments, particularly the Air-like Sfven-g-englar, but not really sustained across all the tracks.

I only know Sigur Ros from the Game of Thrones soundtrack where they did a version of Rains of Castamere. Kind of cool hearing a full album. Obviously I didn’t understand a word but it was cool background music to work to. Haunting and melodic is a great mix, and I actually fuck with music in other languages. It’s great to work to like I said and because I don’t speak Swedish my brain wants to match the speech patterns regardless so you end up having thought provoking music that is not too distracting. Saving it for a future work sesh where I don’t want silence but can’t devote too much headspace to the music. I dig the vibes. If Aretha Franklin was a high 3 this is a low 3. Hers was a better album but I can’t say I disliked this album at all so a 2 is out for me.

Idk how to rate this. It isn’t as much just straight noise as similar albums on the list were, but I hesitate to even really call it an album in the traditional sense. With that in mind, I enjoyed it. There were some pretty high highs actually and some pretty catchy tunes built into the atmosphere of the album. I definitely felt a build up that lasted through multiple songs into somewhat of a climax. Almost like a movie soundtrack. Fun and cool album to be on the list.

It is not (completely) Sigur Ros’s fault that they are advert music. I think I’ve heard every one of these tracks in adverts for banks or insurance companies trying to convince their prospective victims they’re folksy and authentic, and I’m too much of a cynic to not feel pandered to by that. I knew that Sigur Ros has released tracks in a made up language that isn’t Icelandic, which I always thought was quite funny (especially for people who do speak Icelandic) but a quick google said only Olsen Olsen and the end of the title track are the only two not in Icelandic. I did actually like Olsen Olsen for being a little bit different, but the language is essentially indistinguishable to me- I wonder if they manage to sing the “correct” lyrics to the jibberish songs live. Overall I basically can’t draw individual songs out of this- I guess what’s nice about it is the ambient experience, and that’s what makes it so good for advertising too- the lyrics are non specific if you’re non Icelandic (and even sometimes if you are) and the music sounds fundamentally quite hopeful and calming, like something about the eternality of the soul or something I dunno. I can imagine myself putting this on only to ironically soundtrack bits of life that seem like they’d appear in a montage- slow motion footage of holding a baby or something. It’s probably sad for Sigur Ros that people sort of can’t take their music seriously anymore, or maybe that’s just me? Not bad, but for something which tries to be so heavily imbued in meaning it’s quite sad it basically means capitalism to me now.

Eh

Beetje eentonig maar wel mooi, IJslandse vocals vet ook, een nummertje die wel nice was en playlist materiaal, verder zou ik dit alleen tijdens een lange roadtrip snachts in de Flixbus oid aanzetten om bij in slaap te vallen

This would be good to listen to super high. Not really my thing, but I did like the vibe.

Ágætis Byrjun hits me with atmospheric beauty and a proper relaxing vibe, but it misses me with a real lasting impact or something that compels me to want to listen to it again. I didn't pay attention to a track listing much, so I dunno where it all starts and ends, but the first 10/15 mins or so are really quite sad and emotional (I talk about music making me feel, this bit made me feel pretty shit, although that may also have overlapped with a shitty start to my day), then we work our way through to more uplifting sounds (with a crescendo in Olsen Olsen, one I looked up as it was such a change in mood), obviously they're taking us on a journey through all of that and it's very obvious, it's just not very me. It's an interesting listen, good in places, dreamy instrumental stuff hasn't ever really been my thing as I've said every time we've had something like this, although I can recognise this is among the better efforts we've had from that genre. Call it a respectful 3.

I do like this sort of thing in relatively small doses, dreamy soundscapes with haunting vocals, but I'm not sure I need a whole one (and definitely not 71 minutes worth). Despite not understanding a word of it, it's not that hard to connect with it, definitely a great one to listen to whilst working or relaxing. 3/5.

Very good artistically but not really my style Very spacey and droney and kinda ambient Would listen again if in the mood

Dreamy vibes but needs the right mood

Bad music for dancing. Like most Post-Rock, this album is loaded with tension and release. Excellent for soundtracks and production music where a visual element is present. Maybe also good as background while doing mundane and lengthy tasks. On it's own, without any distraction, the music can be dull and repetitive.

Very pretty. Hearing Staralfur when they find the shark in The Life Aquatic on the big screen was amazing.

Some amazing tracks on here. I don’t think you can stop and start this and get the most out of it. I could potentially ask for this score to be changed at a later date as I think they are a band you need to be in a certain mood for.

Geinig albumpie hoor Alles klonk wel beetje hetzelfde

Cool ethereal ambient sound, radiohead-like, but long and uninteresting

If Radiohead was Icelandic audio taffy pulled long and slow. A little dark but open and hopeful like a good Christmas album

A lack of actual musical instruments and foreign language lyrics make this uninteresting to me. Someone who can understand the lyrics would be able to rate fairly

3/5 Some cool post rock.

This was introduced to me years ago as one of my sister-in-law’s favorites. I listened to it for a while. It’s pleasant enough but maybe a little too atmospheric for me.

15/11/24 It wasn't for me, but i will not knock it as I didn't understand it. It was peaceful though.

This is good background music... but that's it.

Only a few tracks in but I don't think this is really my thing. As often as I found something I liked, something else I disliked kind of ruined it. I liked the drums around halfway through Ny Batteri, but the brass parts were sort of annoying and put me off the song again Not my thing and I'm not feeling compelled to put it on again. Respect it and see why it's acclaimed though Highlights: Olsen Olsen

Grandiose. And plenty of nature sounds; wind, waves, volcanic roaring, jet engines, and space shuttle take-offs. New age ghost rock sound, glad I listened. (2.7*s)

This was a very peculiar album but rather enjoyable. Wasn't sure what to expect from Icelandic dream pop but I was pleasantly surprised. The soft notes bring a sense of calm. While I'd like to know what the lyrics say, the fact that they are in another language makes the whole album very soothing and a little transcendental. There's something compelling about the album but I'm not sure what it is. It worked as good background while working for the time being. It's a little too long of an album but my curiosity is piqued to delve into Sigur Ros at another time. They sound almost like a foreign Radiohead pastiche. Great entry for the 1001 as I've never heard of this otherwise. 3.19 stars

like low-fi girl on a hiking trip in the fjords

- Really beautiful soundscape that tastefully incorporates synths and traditional instruments to create vibrant environments - Manage to capture a very haunting piece of sound without falling into the trap of becoming too avant garde or pretentiously artsy - Mimics early Pink Floyd in some of their acoustic aesthetics - No stellar stand-out tracks, but hard to hate any of the songs on here, as they all feel as though they serve a component purpose to the whole of the album - This album has certainly earned a second listen to appreciate the whole thing

Prog for the modern era. Something something "sprawl," something something "ethereal." Something something "long." It's quite pretty, I guess, but I feel like it insists upon its own beauty or something. A relaxing, immersive listening experience that I'm glad I had, but not one I plan to revisit. Highlight: Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm)

Lovely listen, very soothing

I understan why I should love this album but it does not convince me completely

Nice background music I guess but too slow and spacey for me

I feel like a hipster listening to these guys. Finally, I’m really cool. It’s great ambient noise. Beautiful. Put me right to sleep.

I don't think I understood the album.

Vale pela referência de ambient music 3 estrelas tá bom demais

Despite the fact I couldn’t understand it and the songs were heavy long (which as per many of my reviews on this list is an annoyance of mine), I actually enjoyed this a lot. It was really chilled and lovely to have on in the background. Would like to give it 3.5 stars as it’s not quite 4 but it’s still very good

Some good some bad. Certainly interesting and worthy of this list

Atmospheric. Annoying. Ambient. Loooong.

Not sure how to feel about this? It's relaxing and exotic but I have no idea what is influential about it?

Didn’t love this. The music itself is pretty interesting, but each song goes for too long and just kind of drones on. An instrumental version of this would go crazy though.

You know it didn't grab me as much as it did 20 odd years ago. There are some standout tracks, but as a cohesive whole it doesn't feel as interesting to me.

Not something I would choose but good ambient listen

Good mood music, nice to listen to in the background

Viorar Vel til.... That's the one Beautiful atmospheres but felt a bit tired at the end? Will definitely revisit though probably more in a Background sense than a focused listen

Not my favorite. I’m sure the sounds would be good if you’re in a Batman mood. Just not my thing. Almost cool, mostly annoying

Good, but not compelling. Like a Godspeed You! Black Emperor album without the edge.

OMG! The Icelandic gods of ambient sound; it was a decent outing, would listen again

Enjoyed it. It was nice as background music.

Very pleasant and musically well done, just not something I actively seek out. Rather a good background/ sleep vibe

Atmospheric. The songs feel a bit long, but the flow is nice and it's pretty to listen to.

Beautiful instrumentals. Songs tend to be quite long. Seems like an artsy album

I want to like this and I can feel the innovativeness and beauty, but at most points in life I do not have the time nor energy to devote to this album to really understand why for many it’s a 5.

Wauw, ok. Het is in elk geval even totaal iets anders dan je standaard indie rock album. Het eerste nummer is heel kort, maar wat daarna komt is zeer indrukwekkend. Een soort klagend, dromering nummer? Maar ok, 1 klagerig dromerig nummer: best wel vet Een heel album met alleen maar zulke muziek wat in totaal ruim een uur duurt? This ain't it chief... Er zit voor mij net even te veel muziek in die gewoon voelt alsof ze als doel hadden het moeilijkste album ooit te maken. Het is behoorlijk experimenteel en niet alles pakt voor mij even goed uit. Betekent overigens niet dat ik het slecht vind, ik vind gewoon best wel veel een beetje saai. Maar de dingen die werken vind ik dan wel weer meteen echt vet. Het had alleen een stuk korter gekund! FAVO: Sefn-g-englar, Olsen Olsen

Dramatic, atmospheric, not really my vibe

Beautiful but too sad for me

This started out as a 1, but it grew on me.

New agey techno Scandinavian like

I was worried going in based off of the album cover. I however was pleasantly surprised that it was actually kinda good.

I remember being absolutely mind blown by this album as a young 20 something. Now, less so. I appreciate the technicality and the inventiveness of many songs. But now I clock the drag a lot more.

Going against my beloved Pixie Warrior on this one, I thought it was kind of cool. The title track was the best, except for the Yoko Ono scream at the end. 3.4

Post rock is tricky. Everything stretched out and spacified and smothered in reverb. There's a fine line between epic and dull. I think this album just crosses the wrong side a little as it plows on through its 70+ minutes but the early part has some great sections.

This was a unique experience. The album is spacial and immersive. I think it would be hard to just listen to a single track from this as it needs to be consumed as a whole album.

Not in English. Very different sound.

Ethereal and reflective. Perfect for a jellyfish exhibit. Clear Radiohead contemporaries. I wonder if I would like this as much if the words were in English.

Zum Meditieren ja, auf Dauer aber zu eintönig. Immerhin besser als Björk.

A peaceful, melodic, and unique listen. Not particularly entertaining but was fine to have on in the background. Does get a bit laborious after an hour though. 5.5/10 (2.75/5)

Eh. I lost a lot of interest after 'Starálfur', which was really beautiful, but unfortunately, nothing else could keep the momentum going. I also liked 'Viðrar vel til loftárása' and 'Olsen olsen', but every other song pretty much had the same boring sound. And they were all really long, which contributed to my occasional loss of interest.

Cool but boring and no hooks.

Pretty remarkable, found this enrapturing. Not sure why it’s labeled “rock.”

It's ok

Severn-g-englar // Flugufrelsarinn // Vidrar Vel til Loftarasa // Olsen Olsen // 3.5/5

Thoughts before listening: These guys were a huge deal when I was starting to branch out my music tastes from the punk and jambands I had grown up listening to. They were constantly getting praise from all the sites I was following, but I never gave them much of a chance. I think it was the fact that it wasn't in English that kept me from paying attention. I'm glad I'll have an excuse to listen for the first time today. Review: This is post-rock in the vein of Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor, and Explosions in the Sky, but Sigur Ros is a bit different because of the vocals. While those bands are fully instrumental, Sigur Ros sings in a way in which the voice is utilized as a part of the instrumentation as opposed to being used to convey a message. It doesn't really matter that I don't understand the lyrics here because the singing is still very effective as part of the overall arrangement of these songs. Now on the music, I have to say that I much prefer the sounds of the aforementioned bands to Sigur Ros. Sigur Ros leans heavily into orchestral and electronic arrangements as opposed to the more guitar-based rock stylings typical of the post-rock genre. I am finding myself getting a little bored with this album although there are certainly some interesting songs. I added a couple tracks to my playlist, but overall this is only a 3-star album to me.

6/10

Weird atmospheric music

Very cool sort of ambient music with different elements. I liked it a lot even though I had never heard of them before. It's great to listen to at work or while doing some activity that requires thought. Very chilled out and interesting without being distracting if that makes sense.

i enjoyed this album a lot more than i thought i would. it creates a certain ambience, and works nicely as background music. whilst i can’t say it’s an album i’d return to often, i appreciated it whilst it lasted, and got stuck in to a few of the tracks. i couldn’t tell you one song from the other having listened to it, but that doesn’t particularly matter - it’s intrigue comes when you hear it.

Cute but it’s background music

Blissed out to the max, but a bit repetitive.

Ethereal is probably the best way to describe it. More accurate than good music anyway

Because of my fucked-up schedule, and the fact that I’m taking a break to catch up on some albums I’ve missed, I’m listening to Ágaætis byrjun right after Brian Eno’s Music For Airports, and… I think I’m burnt out on relaxing shit. I was gonna mention this in the Brian Eno review but couldn’t find a good place to put it, but I’m not naturally a very relaxed person. I’m almost always totally wired, I smoke a lot, I’ve got a lot of nervous energy. I play the drums very loudly and very quickly to the inevitable irritation of my neighbours. I listen to a lot of Punk. I do listen to more mellow music, but having 2 of these fairly long winded, relaxed affairs one after the other is something I’m not really wired for. That being said, I’m enjoying Ágaætis byrjun more than I did Music For Airports. There’s more of a sense of dynamics, more of a structure. That ‘that being said’ being said, it also blended as far into the background as Music For Airports did, that I’m forgetting everything that I listened to as soon as I hear it. I didn’t hate it, and I’d be glad to give it another listen, but maybe not just after I’d listened to another ambient piece. As it stands as a first impression, I’m going to have to stick with the same rating as Music For Airports, the album that has so doggedly followed Ágaætis byrjun throughout this review. Sorry about that, but that’s just the way the dice rolls sometimes

#311. I remember one of my friends recommended I should listen to Sigur Ros one time when I was in high school. I don't remember which album it was, but it very well may have been this one. The time frame is right anyway. And I thought it was terrible. Hated it. [I think the only band he recommended that I liked was Coheed and Cambria] It's probably because I was only really interested in fairly aggressive music at the time. If it wasn't death metal or similar I had little interest. Perhaps it's because I'm a nearly 40 year old man now and the teenage angst has worn down a bit, but I quite liked this silly mellow bullshit this time. It's not my favorite or anything, but I don't hate it. 3/5: fine.

In Utero would be a very fitting name for this album...

So beautiful it almost becomes cliché. Soundtrack to 1,001 soaring-vista'd HD nature documentaries 🫠