Sigur Ros
Valtari
(XL)

Sigur Ros is back to remind everyone that Bjork is not the only musician from Iceland making a big noise all over the world. Their latest offering, Valtari, is yet another collection of musical landscapes and ambience. Once again, the ensemble manages to create powerful tunes without exhibiting the kind of aggression you would think is necessary to reach the kind of musical peaks they sometimes do. Although I have to admit my only problem with Sigur Ros—and the trend continues with Valtari—is that many of their compositions come across less like songs and more like long intros, building up to a song that never kicks in because the next one is inevitably another long intro for the song following it.

Regardless, Sigur Ros paints a moving audio picture from beginning to end. It’s hard to single out a particular track because like their previous releases, Valtari comes across as one cohesive piece of music. Don’t get me wrong, Sigur Ros doesn’t just rehash the same thing release after release, Valtari, definitely offers up some new touches, but if you are already familiar with the style of Sigur Ros, you should not be disappointed. So find a scenic spot in the world or just close your eyes wherever you are and let Sigur Ros supply the soundtrack. You’ll be glad you did.