| Me su i eyrum vi spilum endalaust | 
 enlarge
| Artist: Sigur Ros
Label: EMI
Category: Music
List Price: £14.99
Buy New: £6.83
You Save: £8.16 (54%)
New (46) Used (4) Collectible (1) from £4.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  23 reviews
Sales Rank: 198
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.8 x 0.2
EAN: 5099922872821
ASIN: B0019ZMN5A
Release Date: June 23, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Brilliant June 20, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
OK im a fan a big fan of sigur ros I think they are the most imaginative,evocative band to arrive ever.A previous reviewer likened a new release to christmas I have to agree im tingling all over with excitement,and having listened to the streaming of the new album on the bands website i cant wait for this album(preordered it of course) coldplay pale in comparison(sorry coldplay fans)
It's actually very good June 18, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
After finding out that music maestro 'Flood' was to produce their 5th album, I was a little,(some may say justified) cautious about this new offering from Icelandic cloud landscapers, Sigur Ros.
Their new and latest free download Gobbledigook, took me somewhat by surprise, it's a brave move. I couldn't help but think bands like 'The Flaming Lips' could carry this off with absolute ease, but as a Sigur Ros track, for me, didn't really work.
I couldn't help but think it's like someone taking a wild endangered animal, sticking it in a cage and getting it to perform tricks for a paying audience. Thankfully, the other tracks are as good as anything they have done previous. Some Sigur Ros purists still may be a little disappointed with its more structured sound, but for me, I'm happy to report, it still sounds pretty darn good.
I think it's a fine mix of lets try something new/with not wanting to alienate their core audience, the only slight problem for me is that at times it seems a little obvious and slightly mechanical. Compared to their usual style of organically producing stunning backdrops for movies that have never been made, Me su i eyrum vi spilum endalaust, may be a tad forced, I like my Sigur Ros tracks less obvious, taking something different from them every time I hear them.
Having said that, it isn't a criticism, just a personnel preference.
I read a review that said "some of the tracks sound a little OTT", couldn't help but laugh when you consider this is a band who live in Iceland, record music in churches and caves and sing in a made up language no one can decipher.
Sigur Ros remain superb, the back lash may have started, but if they had continued doing another Takk or ( ), the critical damage could have been far worst. At least it proves that Sigur Ros are not beyond criticism like some suggested. Sit back and enjoy, tracks Ara batur & Festival are an absolute treat. Over blown syrup? .. yes, maybe, but isn't that why we like them?
 Sigur Ros- Me su i eyrum vi spilum endalaust LP Review (8/10) June 17, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Often, Sigur Ros' music sounds like the stuff that gods might listen to. Their oozing symphonic excess and patiently paced crescendos enhance an unearhtly vocal performance that could only be that of an Angel's. But this reliance on divine weightlessness is not necessarily the element of Sigur Ros' music that makes them so good. ( ) seemed to pile on that formless atmosphere to no end, yet the album as a whole didn't quite reach the startling heights of their prior album, Agaetis Byrjun. Conversely, their new album, With A Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly (English Title), feels much more grounded, yet it's probably Sigur Ros' strongest work since their sophomore masterpiece.
The down to earth qualities of the album probably comes from the fact that many of the tracks blatantly take cues from other modern bands. From the moment "Gobbledigook" bursts out of the door, parading through an Animal Collective drum circle, Sigur Ros seems to be finally showing a passion for music other than their own. Besides the 3-minute acoustic pop glory of the afforementioned single, "Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur" tacks a Sufjan Stevens-esque wall of glockenspiels and horns onto a driving, passionate rhythm. The combination of symphonic touches and rock-song structure makes it feel like a twin to Arcade Fire's "Keep That Car Running". Meanwhile, "Vi Spillum Endalaust" is a picture perfect ascending anthem that recalls Mercury Rev circa All Is Dream, and "Festival" wanders through familliar holy territory for it's first half, but very suddenly adopts a more earthly progression that is an exact replica of the outro for Titus Andronicus' "Fear And Loathing in Mawnah". This similarity is probably a complete coincidence, because the aesthetic here is completely different, enhanced by a more affecting build-up and bigger pay-off, but the fact that any connection can be made between the celestial Sigur Ros and a filthy bar-band that's pure Grassroots, is saying something about how far the band has come to do away with the pretentious qualities that's made them so hated by their dissentors.
Admittedly, the songs gradually and completely return Sigur Ros to the sound that they're known for by the end of the album, with tracks like "Ara Batur" and "Fljotavik", so this mainly feels like a transitional album. Nonetheless, the effect remains the same, and is only further established by the inclusion of their first english-spoken song, "All Alright". With A Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly borrows it's warmth from Takk... and it's creative layers of coos and voices from ( ), but the craft and accessibility of it's songs suggest something that their last two albums didn't (besides the post-rock friendly title) and that is tangible growth. Sigur Ros always tended to sound, on some level, like they were going through the motions just to maintain their heavenly reputation. But on With A Buzz... Sigur Ros' sincerity cannot be questioned. They've transcended their profile to become a magnificent, fun and soulfully symphonic pop band. (Aron Fischer)
Practically perfect June 17, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I was so cautious about this album, surely Sigur Ros couldn't top their previous LP 'Takk', which has spent more time on repeat in my CD player and iPod over the last 2 years than I care to remember - I even bough 3 copies in total (one for home, one for the car, one special edition to treasure)... But the unthinkable has happened!!!
So what is the album like? We firstly, if you liked previous tracks like Hoppipolla, Hljomalind or Agaetis Byrjun then you'll love it. Scratch that, if you like any of Sigur Ros' back catalogue then you'll love it - the album is a logical progression from previous works without abandoning all that we love about them. Almost all tracks will connect with the listener on first listen, and even those that feel they could be forgetable have a knack for sounding oh-so-familiar 2nd time around. However the album is notably shorter than other albums in their repetoire, at just under 1 hour, the album only includes 1 'epic' Sigur Ros track ('epic' like the ( ) album).
Gobbledigook, the album's opening track is a tricky one. It's raucus and youthful, and probably the most surprising track by the band so far - and an odd choice to open with. The timing unfortunatley really gets in the way of this track being 'sing-along-able', no matter how many times you listen to it. However it doesn't stop the listener from enjoying it from a voyeurs point of view (ie not part of it) and it does do a really good job of getting the album off to a blinding start.
It seems that 2nd track Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur is this year's Hoppipolla, and is destined to appear on the more sophisticated sporting event round-up VT, or even another advert for a David Attenborough nature show (!) And although at the end of track 2 you might find yourself thinking 'can the album get any better than this?', listen on!
Gotan Daginn is a mellow affair, in the vein of Agaetis Byrjun or Heima - a good track to watch the world go by in front of you. It has it's cute moments but it will surprise you at how quickly the song goes by. Vid Spilum Endalaust takes the listener back into Hoppipolla territory, which is a nice surprise to hear 2 of this kind of track on the album together!
Track 5 (Festival), although fairly long-winded (do not read 'epic') has by far the most catchy melody of the whole album, or even arguably their entire back catalgue. The first 4 minutes or so of Jonsi's solitary singing acts as a brilliant palette-cleanser prior to the album's 2nd half starting from the major breakdown in Festival... Think Glosoli but less progressive... the whistling at the end will YOU by the end of the album!
The album's 2nd half is a more subdued affair (do not read 'boring'), with the last beat-y track being the lush 'Sud i Eyrum' (track 6 - which leaves another 5 tracks relitively drum free). Ara Batur is similar in structure to Festival, yet it seems to flow-in better from previous tracks - there isn't such a stark contrast between it's neighbouring songs. The song itself is one of Sigur Ros' most sensitive works, Jonsi's vocals seem so fragile at times, yet perfectly beautiful. The track swells into a full orchestral and choir affair worthy of a classy and poignant end-credits for an intelligent blockbuster.
The remianing 4 tracks are quite a surprise to the listener, they seem to get more and more stripped down as they go, with my personal favourite Fljotavik. The tracks themselves are lowkey strings, vocals, and the odd piano or acoustic guitar. These tracks seem heavility influenced by their Heima Tour of 2007 as they seem a lot more intimate in terms of performance; they have an almost 'live' feel.
The closing track, All Alright, could have worked well as a secret track, with the final restrains of Straumnes (a coda to Fljotavik) most listeners would expect the album to have reached it's natural cadence and ended there, but the final track strips the album down to its bare minimum. Jonsi's vocals are so fargile they sound almost like they were sung in his sleep. Aparrently the lyrics are in english, although they are so murmered that they could be Hopelandic to most listeners.
If Takk was an album themed upon nature then Med Sud i Eyerum... is themed upon the memories of nature; the sound seems less a first-hand experience of nature and more third-hand in it's translation, although there are some distictly lush moments to remind us of the elemental backbone that Sigur Ros are all about. But like nature, the album isn't perfect; perhaps top heavy, perhaps not - it will depend on the listeners prefernce, although I imagine first time listeners to Sigur Ros will be ending their albums after track 7... listen on an you will be rewarded.
 ...and I'm a Sigur Ros fan June 16, 2008
11 out of 29 found this review helpful
Before you read this review you need to know that I rate the body of work Sigur Ros has produced in the last ten years very highly.
'Agaetis byrjun' is one of my favourite albums of all time, with its aching, whale-song like structure and haunting sparseness building up to epic, explosions of sound. Absolutely perfect album.
I liked the direction they took on '( )' even if Hopplandic sounds horribly repetitive to me (he basically sings the words "You sigh" over and over again)
Takk was half a good album and half an over cooked album. Some songs were beautiful and others were a bit dull or over-produced. I saw them live for the first time on this album's tour and they were brilliant. After being slightly disappointed with Takk I was anticipating a return to form as such with their next (proper) release.
Which brings us to this new album; which is honestly the most disappointing albums I have heard in a long time. After the first 3 songs (which are good but not great) it's just utterly dull. Songs take forever to get going and ultimately go nowhere. His voice is slightly jarring without the epic backing music and doesn't suit the acoustic and stripped down nature of this album. The melodies (when they are there) are uninspired and quite annoying at times.
I can't blame the band for wanting to try something different and at least they haven't repeated themselves. Having said that, this release is dull throughout and just sounds lazy.
Listen to it on their website before buying.
|
|
|
