Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust by Sigur Rós

Sigur Rós
Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
2008
Post Rock
EMI

1. Gobbledigook
2. Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur ("Within Me A Lunatic Sings")
3. Góðan Daginn ("Good Day")
4. Við Spilum Endalaust ("We Play Endlessly")
5. Festival
6. Með Suð Í Eyrum ("A Buzz In Our Ears")
7. Ára Bátur ("Row Boat")
8. Illgresi ("Weeds")
9. Fljótavík
10. Straumnes
11. All Alright
(Also included is a 400x400 album cover .jpeg)

At light speed
Inside a heart explodes, an airplane crash
Down on the earth sings
I make a wish and close my eyes
Yes do that, a silly dance
All is forgotten in very little time and yet begins
Open eyes
Oh no

"Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur" English Translation

I love Sigur Rós. I do not love that every time I blog about Sigur Rós, I have to copy+paste a thousand Icelandic words back and forth from Wikipedia.

They said it couldn't be done. Well, they didn't expect it done. A band as moody and greyscale and atmospheric as Sigur Rós, releasing an incredibly organic sounding summer record? Ridiculous. But last summer, the band released Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust, which not only seems like an incredibly natural progression in the band's catalog, but also contains some of the happiest music of the year. And they did an excellent job.

Happiest music of the year might be an understatement. I dare you to sit still during "Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur" or "Festival." The first five tracks of Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust really bring to mind an icelandic version of Animal Collective. The backbone of the songs are acoustic guitars, as opposed to Jónsi's signature reverb soaked bowing on an electric guitar. Also, many of the songs feature a standard tenor vocal range, unlike the band's frequent use of falsetto in the past. It's so incredibly different, yet it still feels like Sigur Rós.

My only complaint with the record is the pacing of the last half of the album. After the insane buildup and release that is the coda of "Festival," every song after that gets gradually slower and calmer, until finally the band has reached it's all time softest intensity for the closer, "All Alright." All of the songs are great. Don't get me wrong. But I think that because they were put in this order, the listener slowly becomes disinterested as the record closes out. Especially because of the extreme amound of energy behind the first five tracks. However, give the B-side of Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust a chance. It's the same quality as the A-side, it just takes an extreme detour in mood.

This is the definition of a summer album, and I've waited to post it until now for a reason. Listen to this outside, driving or running or working, on a humid summer afternoon or evening. Completely perfect accompaniment.

Click here to download part 1 (65.16 MB)
Click here to download part 2 (54.5 MB)

Buy it!
CD / Vinyl / Digital Copy