Album Review - Sigur Rós: Valtari

Sigur Rós
Valtari
Rating: Woof Daddy

It's been four long years since the release of Sigur Rós' last record Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust, which divided a lot of fans with its more playful, less somber tone. Subsequently, the band took an extended hiatus with leader Jonsi putting out a solo record that had him embracing almost traditional song structures, and even more "happier" sounds. After a lengthy tour, it was suggested that Sigur Rós were perhaps finished, that Jonsi would continue in the same vein as his solo output. Somewhat mysteriously, word was spread that a new Sigur Ros album would be released, with the band being quite hushed about what it would sound like. Bassist Georg Hólm described the album as having "more electronic stuff than before" but not being "a dance album". After listening to the album, I have to say that description is quite off the mark, as Valtari is one of Sigur Rós' most organic sounding records, and perhaps its most ambient record. Drums and percussion are mostly absent here, with greater reliance on strings. Jonsi's distinctive voice is more notable at the beginning of the record, until the back half which becomes almost all instrumental. And it seems Jonsi's flirtations with English lyrics have ceased; the album is in a combination of Icelandic and "Hopelandic," Jonsi's made-up language. So, in the grand scheme of things, where does Valtari fit in Sigur Ros' oeuvre? At first, for me, I was very disappointed after hearing the bassist's description as well as Jonsi's output. I was expecting something revolutionary in their sound, and instead, it didn't seem like a forward progression at all, almost a regression. In fact, I would even say I was bored by the record at first. Once I finally pulled myself out of that mindset, I decided to get over my disappointment and try to listen to the record apart from their other albums; give it a chance to be evaluated on its own merits. While I am still a little disappointed with the record, there is a somber grace to Valtari that makes it rise above my initial reaction. It is a "difficult" album in the sense that you can't just jump into it and get your bearings; it takes time to get in the right frame of mind for the experience.

Valtari is a gorgeous record and impeccably produced, its 8 tracks forming more of a singular experience, a suite of songs, instead of individual moments. There is an ease with the flow of the record, taking its time to get where it is going. The album feels like a journey through live, beginning in hushed environments, getting louder and more purposeful in the middle section, then slowly fading into nothingness. Starting with a chorus of muted voices washing over each other, lead track "Ég anda" slowly unfurls with rising strings and rumbles of guitar static, its stately pace gaining density with the addition of subtle percussion, gauzy guitars, and Jonsi's ethereal voice.



"Ekki múkk" haunts with fluttering strings; Jonsi's childlike voice emerging from the shadows. Delicate pianos echo throughout the piece, as electronics and strings fold in on each other, before the song fades out on stark piano chords and what sounds like old vinyl scratches.



The songs on Valtari barely rise above a whisper, dealing more in ambiance and texture than brute force. "Varúð" gets underneath the skin with its treated pianos and swell of strings; Jonsi's voice rising to meet the storm. The track never fails to make my hairs stand on end when the drums come in at the end, sending the song into an extended blissed out coda,



leading into album centerpiece "Rembihnútur," whose stately drums propel the track over a fog of pianos and twinkling keyboards.



From here the album takes a broad turn into more ambient territory. "Dauðalogn" is a gorgeous piece of droning guitars and strings, Jonsi's stark vocal, and a haunting chorus of angelic voices.



Jonsi's voice all but disappears for the final three tracks. "Varðeldur" is a somber, piano led instrumental featuring lovely guitar and electronic textures underneath; "Valtari" floats on a bed of treated guitars and string drones, augmented by twinkling electronics; while "Fjögur píanó" is a simple piano based instrumental that closes the record on a note of tentative resignation, giving in to the fading light.



Like its haunting, magical album cover, Valtari defies easy description or logic. It will either speak to you or not. I resisted for the longest time, allowing my initial disappointment to cloud my enjoyment of what is a very intimate, special record. It inhabits that space in the day between light and dark when everything seems to be in a hyper-twilight; where everything has both a crystalline clarity and hazy outline, where it both illuminates and confounds. There is a complexity here that is subtle and sublime, and takes you on your own personal journey, wherever that make take you. Valtari is stunningly realized and one of the best records of the year.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.