Music Review: Sigur Rós - Hvarf-Heim
After years of listening to moody Icelanders Sigur Rós, I've come to a very pointed conclusion about them. Their gimmick (if you can call it a gimmick after this many records) is that their singer, Jónsi Birgisson, sings in a gibberish language called "Hopelandic". It's beautiful to listen to, but frustrating after repeated listens - you feel almost cheated of the substance that lyrics in a real language would yield. Jónsi's argument is that the substance is in the feeling rather than the content. Still, Birgisson having the ability to speak Icelandic and English, I've always wished Sigur Rós would change their vocalization. My conclusion however, is that as bothered as I am about that aspect, Sigur Rós' sound vibe makes their music impregnable to my criticism. Which is why Ágætis Byrjun and ( ), or "the parentheses album", remain two of my favorite records to this day.
Hvarf-Heim, after 2005's relatively disappointing Takk..., is my reason to climb on board the Sigur Rós bandwagon after a brief hiatus. The Hvarf half of the double-disc set is a rarities set spanning their career, and the Heim half is a very intriguing acoustic live set that pulls my from some of my favorite Sigur Rós moments.
For a collection of tracks that managed not to make any of their albums, Hvarf still packs a surprising punch - showing some of the weightiest material Sigur Rós has ever done. Middle track "Í Gær" is particularly mind-blowing, starting with a 54 second menagerie of soft bells and glockenspiels and exploding into a guitar massacre. "Hliómalind" is similar with its driving bass line and layer-upon-layer of textural tracks. Closer "Hafsól" brings the set to a close with an overload of symphonic slamming.
Where this compilation really shines is in the Heim portion. An acoustic set for a band that makes a living on tasteful use of electronics seems implausible, but it works amazingly well. Instead of synth, they use accordions and harmoniums for their drones. Instead of icy electronic pianos, they lean on the baby grand. Instead of Jónsi's ad nauseum violin bow to the Les Paul, he picks up a dry, unplugged axe. The songs take on a new life having this open-air breathed into them.
"Vaka (Untitled #1)" from ( ) is particularly inspiring with some xylophone accents and Birgisson accurately mimicking the reverse vocals of the song's studio counterpart, again without the aid of processing. "Samskeyti" has a similar new feeling - having the piano slightly deadened by the gravity of the surrounding instruments helps the song more than it hurts it, surprisingly. Same thing goes for the incredible "Starálfur" where the trademark string-section still resounds, but has a better scenery to wash over thanks to a thumping stand-up bass.
Ultimately, it's safe to say Hvarf-Heim will bring back any audience Sigur Rós might have alienated in the last few years and it may even win over a new crowd of groupies that will go back through their catalog and devour all the previous albums.
