We sometimes come across albums filled with a variety of musical styles, hard to combine. Albums that can change your life. That grow into you the more you hear them, but still remain unpredictable.
‘( )’ (or ‘Untitled’), is the third album of this great band from Iceland, released on 28th October 2002 under FatCat Records/ Bad Taste label, and is the successor of the eerie debut album ‘Von’, and their classic second one ‘Ágætis Byrjun’.
‘( )’ begins with three masterpieces:
‘Untitled #1’ (A.K.A ‘Vaka’) introduces us into a deep dream…
Αn excellent bell-piano melody with distorted ghostly vocals at the background. After the first minute, we float in a sea of piano/strings pure magic, and sweet melancholy. Jonsi’s voice is so warm, so emotional.
‘Untitled #2’ (A.K.A ‘Fyrsta’ is the second song that ‘strikes’ as a lovely surprise. Radio-frequencies, unbelievable creepy sounds and tape loops haunt the crystal guitar melody. Jonsi’s voice here is simply ethereal. The sensation of ‘Fyrsta’, is like falling asleep in a haunted forest…Then comes ‘Untitled #3’ (A.K.A ‘Samskeyti’ with an absolutely magical piano melody, shiny and beautiful like a dreamy morning covered with white light…Almost redemptive.‘Untitled #6’ (called ‘E-bow’). It is a slow-motion elegy, a typical Sigur Rós’ song.Finally, our trip in Sigur Ros’ dream world ends in the most magnificent way.The ABSOLUTE redeeming SAGA.‘Untitled #8’ or ‘Popplagið’…12 minutes of incommunicable life-changing opus.Bliss and divine calmness best describe the first six minutes…Glorious & cathartic guitar melodies, along with synth effects, emotive, almost ‘broken’ performing by Jonsi. While a war starts just after the 6th minute. An explosive crescendo of infuriating vocals, yowling guitars, and the out of this world drummer who sounds like he has 12 hands, demolish everything.‘Popplagið’ is an incredible acoustic experience, so one can understand why they choose this to be their closing track at their live performances.
It’s sometimes difficult to believe that Sigur Rós’ music is written by humans…It’s like a shadow of a haunted fairy forest…It is the sound of the storm…The crystal breath of the unseen…A recorded elf symphony..How can someone describe something so ecstatic..? Their music makes you wonder whether it comes from out of this world or it’s lurking deep inside us.
A different place…where time does not exist. A place where green meadows, and dark forests collide…Take me there and let me lose myself.
Theodoros Rentesis