Sigur Rós

Takk… (Geffen)
by Tim Den

I’ve always wanted to like Sigur Rós. A band with such ambitious ambiguity, silent drama, and glacial majesty is supposed to be aural porno to a guy like me, yet for some reason the band’s lengthy execution always kept me from becoming a faithful. While they explored one single idea – completely exhausting it through hypnotic repetition – sometimes passed the 10-minute mark, I found myself bored by the wandering, meandering nature of their process. Okay, so the journey is pretty, but is there a destination? And while you could argue that the trip is the destination, just how long can one endure such a sleepy pace? And is the sleepy pace really that pretty after an hour of the same scenery?

On Takk…, the band’s fourth full-length, such questions are rendered obsolete. Why? Cuz Sigur Rós seem to’ve found a happy medium between drifting and delivering. Using the same chord progressions they’ve become known for, the band extracts the essence out of every melody in enough time as to not tire the listener or themselves. There are plenty of winding, swirling, and euphoric moments, but now there is also a sense of purpose in every composition. Whether it’s an oceanic crescendo or a clever tempo change into oompa loompa land, you feel as if the band have finally put periods at the end of their sentences. The beauty is only magnified by the trimming of the fat, as they are now allowed to shine in the spotlight.

For the uninitiated, Takk… is probably the best starting point to approach this dreamy outfit. With just enough bite to their usual slow moving, drawn out, icy-yet-heart-warming orchestrations, Sigur Rós’ ethereal sounds have never been more inviting.
(www.geffen.com)