Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós

Sigur Rós
Ágætis Byrjun
1999
Post Rock
FatCat

1. Intro
2. Svefn-G-Englar ("Sleepwalkers")
3. Starálfur ("Staring Elf")
4. Flugufrelsarinn ("The Fly Savior")
5. Ný Batterí ("New Batteries")
6. Hjartað Hamast (Bamm Bamm Bamm) ("The Heart Pounds (Boom Boom Boom)")
7. Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása ("Good Weather For An Airstrike")
8. Olsen Olsen
9. Ágætis Byrjun ("A Good Beginning")
10. Avalon
(Also included is a 400x400 album cover .jpeg)

Hullabaloo, I rushed down to the lake, a savior
I made a ship ready and said a little prayer because I was scared
The sun shone and the lake flowed
Sunflowers, sunflowers - the flies die
But today I am to save as many flies as possible.

"Flugufrelsarinn" English Translation

More simply beautiful music, this time from one of my favorite bands, Sigur Rós. They're on the same record label as Animal Collective, Björk, and Panda Bear, and very deservedly so. This is a very unique and clever form of post rock, drawing influences mostly from shoegaze, classical, and ambient artists. Featuring a full backing orchestra, falsetto-based vocals, bowed guitar, and brilliant lyrics sung only in Icelandic and in some places, the band's own gibberish language, Vonlenska.

Ágætis Byrjun is one of my favorite albums of all time. I love the guitarist's clever use of a cello bow and clear, pure sounding falsetto voice. Like most post rock bands, Sigur Rós' music is truly an experince to be had. The songs on this album take you on steady, flowing builds-to-crescendo, without sacrificing their melodic appeal. The music is very heavily rooted in classical, and their orchestra paired with their rock instruments can really create some unique atmospheric music that you aren't likely to hear anywhere else.

Click here to download part 1 (72.16 MB)
Click here to download part 2 (77.99 MB)

Buy it!
CD / Digital Copy