
Album review - Sigur Ros - Valtari

Sigur Ros Valtari XL Recordings
Valtari, the first Sigur Ros album in four years, is a gorgeous relapse into post-rock atmospherics. Whereas their last offering, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (translated from Icelandic as "With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly"), was a jolt into tempo-driven reverie, this album owes more to the influence of classical compositions and airy soundtracks.
Maybe this is a deliberate retreat from Go, the riveting and jovial solo debut from Sigur Ros front man Jonsi. In 2010, his band was all but dead, with members' very public squabbles being aired in the music tabloids. Jonsi embraced a flamboyance his mates eschewed in concert.
So Valtari all but eliminates the need for a vocalist, even though Jonsi is one of the most recognizable talents today. His choir-boy falsetto does beckon on "Ekki Mukk," but most of the tracks depend on hushed chimes and willowly piano to guide them.
To try to review the songs as individuals would be a lost cause - wonderfully so. Valtari is meant for a marathon listen. It is a quintessential "album's album," in which no one piece would survive without the others. It is a cerebral experience. At times, one can't be sure the music is even there. It whispers and ebbs, like a snaking brook, until it completely washes over the listener.
More from Melissa Bobbitt (See All)
Concert Review - Whitehorse
Melissa Bobbitt 0Whitehorse images by Melissa Bobbitt The Hotel Cafe was gently invaded from the North on an unsuspecting Saturday. Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland took their musical collaboration known as Whitehorse and steamrolled the mellow...
Apr 29, 20135 Fall Albums We're Stoked To Hear
Melissa Bobbitt 0Cuddle up with a pumpkin spice latte and your cozy earbuds: Here are five albums coming out this autumn that we're super excited about! Yuck Glow & Behold Oct. 1 on Fat Possum Yuck are bound...
Sep 8, 2013Comments
Recent posts
New Album: LOE - HELLOE
Oct 20, 2014New Album: Oswald - Ride
Oct 20, 2014Friends of PhantEye: Wartime Recitals
Oct 13, 2014Subscribe!
Receive updates on what's going on in live entertainment, events, and music.