#5 - Hvarf-Heim

#5:
Artist: Sigur Rós
Album: Hvarf-Heim
Released: November 2007

It is a difficult task to capture the true measure of a Sigur Rós album into mere words. Everything about the album transcends all my previous conceptions of what constitutes beautiful music. The band has been described as “Icelandic post-rock,” but I really do not know what post-rock is. The Icelandic part is accurate enough though; each of the members is from the great island of Iceland, and yes, all of the lyrics are in Icelandic. If you have never before heard a Sigur Rós album, you may be understandably skeptical at this point. If you have listened to them before, let me assure you that Hvarf-Heim, a compilation of new studio tracks and acoustic versions of old songs, is their best yet. Sigur Rós, meaning “Victory Rose” in Icelandic, is one of the most popular bands in Iceland, and is lately gaining more worldwide recognition, and for good reason. Each track is a perfectly constructed composition of artful guitar work, sweeping orchestral melodies, and flowing piano riffs accompanied by lead singer Jónsi Birgisson’s unrivaled falsetto voice. The music is epic and majestic in just the right places, yet with undertones of intimacy and thoughtfulness that make you feel like the music itself is the meaning of the song, rather than the lyrics you do not understand. Jónsi’s voice, to me, is yet another instrument used in flawless accord with the rest of the music. There is depth and meaning to be found in each and every song. You could close your eyes while listening to Hvarf-Heim and open them at the end of the album to find that your mind had been taken on a journey of such stunning imagery and reflection that you marvel at your own capability to conceive it.