Sigur Ros: Icelandic ingenuity

If not for Thom Yorke, would I or anyone else even know who this band from Iceland is? For many, the answer is "no," but for others, including myself, it's "who cares?" Although the Radiohead frontman gave his approval of Sigur Ros by citing them as a major influence on Kid A, the relationship between the two groups ends there, as it would seem unproductive to compare Sigur Ros to anything else out there today. This Reykjavik quartet is embarking on a U.S. tour this fall - including a stop in Washington D.C. on Sept. 25 - in support of their latest release, Agaetis Byrjun, an album of almost unimaginable beauty.

From its opening notes, one cannot listen to Agaetis Byrjun without thinking of the frozen, weather-beaten island of its composers. Sigur Ros paints a musical landscape as bleak and hauntingly beautiful as the land they inhabit. This slow, post-rock epic is dominated by an array of guitar sounds that range from walls of feedback generated by the use of a violin bow to gentle cords strummed on a miked, unplugged electric six-string. Vocalist/guitarist Jon Por Birgisson adds to the soundscape with his "Hopelandic" vocals. His mild falsetto, sung in his native language is evocative of the odd-looking angel aliens that grace the album cover, and, although the average listener would have no idea what the lyrics are, it hardly matters. Sigur Ros' rhythm section rounds out the sound of the group by adding subtle bass and drum parts to each song.

Each song on Agaetis Byrjun tends to melt into the next, but alone they are all very solid. The opening "Svefn-G-Englar" simply has to be heard to be believed, but the magnificence of the album continues through the orchestral "Flugufrelsarinn," and each subsequent track. If you allow yourself to sink into the music even a little, you'll certainly find that the emotion of the music will mirror your own feelings.

Since Yorke's endorsement of Sigur Ros, many Radiohead fans have latched onto the band and worn it like a badge of hipness. As a freshman walking around the AMRs, I can't help but notice Radiohead blaring from many dorm rooms. To the inhabitants of said dorm rooms, I will recommend Agaetis Byrjun, but don't listen to it expecting another Radiohead album. To everyone else, I will say, give Sigur Ros a shot. It's not the type of music you would crank in your car stereo while going 85 m.p.h. or select as the backdrop to a raging party, but Agaetis Byrjun is an awesome album, and Sigur Ros' live show is sure to be equally breathtaking.