Sigur Ros
Agaetis Byrjun
On Sale Now
For $12.98

Every morning between 6:30 and 7:00 I eat breakfast and watch MTV before heading off to my summer internship. It is usually a pretty mundane ritual in which I see the same videos sequenced in the same order as the previous day, or just several videos in a row that are all essentially the same. Nonetheless, in true Waiting for Godot fashion, I continue to watch with the hope that a good video, new or old, will pop on at some point.

On one particular morning two weeks ago, I finally got what I wanted, but not in the form of a video. On the MTV News break, they had their weekly "You Hear it First" artist, typically an obscure act generating solid industry buzz. To my shock, this particular feature was on Iceland's Sigur Ros (pronounced "Cig-er Ross" and translated as "Victory Rose" in English), and though the information on the band was very generic, the rest of my day was definitely made better by this mainstream recognition of such a unique and avant-garde band. When I was asked to write a review for Sigur Ros' second LP, Agaetis Byrjun, by modernrock.com since they would now be selling the CD, my faith in the power of great music on a major level was again encouraged.

Sigur Ros are possibly the most popular band in their native Iceland, and they recently gathered significant attention opening for Radiohead on the European leg of their Kid A tour. Based primarily on strong word of mouth, their stature has grown all over the world, hence the sudden attention they are receiving from the West. Aside from all that though, Sigur Ros are quite simply one of the strangest, most beautiful, and best bands on Earth. Their music is the ultimate space rock. Forget the likes of Slowdive and Ride: Sigur Ros sound like they really are from another galaxy all together. The voice of Jon Thor Birgisson soars and swoons at such celestial pitches that one finds it hard to believe that his voice is human, let alone that of a male. However, it is Birgisson's vocals that anchor Sigur Ros' sound in all its mystery, grace, and otherworldliness; his lyrics are sung in "Hopelandish," a crazy mix of Icelandic and gibberish that miraculously comes off sounding utterly pure.

While emitting such an amazing voice, Birgisson creates the other Sigur Ros signature: heavenly layers of guitar feedback that are generated by slowly running a bow over the strings (a la Jimmy Page, but tastefully done). The feedback drives every melody and never seems out of place or obnoxious; Birgisson controls it perfectly. Rounding out the band, Orri Pall Dyrason (drums), Kjartan Sveinsson (keyboards), and Georg Holm (bass) all add invaluable, divinely-inspired rhythms and beats that slowly slide their way into the listeners consciousness. Almost every song is also accompanied by lush arrangements of horns or strings, which certainly enhances the tear-inducing beauty found throughout.

Every track on Agaetis Byrjun is wholly unique from the next. The single "Sven-G-Englar" is propelled by a chilling keyboard effect and a slow moving quiet-to-loud dynamic reminiscent of Godspeed You Black Emperor! On the other hand, enormous drum beats and a slithering bass line on the heavy "Ny Batteri" show how well Sigur Ros "rock out." "Hjartad Hamast" includes a tender slide guitar lick amidst a swirling orchestra of strings, horns, and piano. "Olsen Olsen" features the most cathartic and glorious "La La La" chorus ever recorded, and the title track is a gentle Cocteau Twins-esque lullaby. In spite of the distinct individuality of each song, the overall mood and feel of the album is consistent; such is the mark of any great album.

Sigur Ros make the kind of music that is at once adventurous and bizarre, yet wholly melodic and accessible. Agaetis Byrjun is one of those albums that makes you happy to be alive simply due to its transcendent beauty. Without one bad track, Agaetis Byrjun shows four young Icelanders laying down their souls for music they obviously believe in strongly. Sigur Ros are an international treasure that everyone needs to experience, whether through MTV or otherwise, because theirs is a magnificently gorgeous sound in any language.

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