Sigur Rós – Takk

Waiting for new releases of your favourite bands can be a pleasant hell. A strong longing, a delightful expectation, but will the band live up to its former accomplishments?

After the masterpiece ‘( )’ by the Icelandic geniuses Sigur Rós, and the experimental taster ‘Ba ba ti ki di do,’ I thought the band was at the top of their success; how could they ever manage to release anything better?
With ‘Takk’ (which simply means ‘thanks’) Sigur Rós have created a monument. This is one of these records that makes wading through a pool of hundreds shitty releases worthwhile. This is one of these discoveries that keep lingering in your head all day, a record that you can play over and over and over again and it never looses it’s glance.
The whole record is one long path to glory, to absolution and delivers a profound sense of esthetical satisfaction. Almost every tracks is slowly build up to a climax, as Godspeed You! Black Emperor does, but comparison to this band doesn’t do right to the uniqueness of Sigur Rós.
Man, what a collection of great songs. ‘Glosoli’ for example (Have you seen the clip? MTV airs it in the late hours when all rap-kids are sleeping. A bunch of youngsters laying on a bare rock, marching proudly through a field, valiantly awaiting the climax, staring at the grey Icelandic skies just before jumping of a great cliff, but not to hit the ground…). But also ‘Saeglopur’ and ‘Andvari.’ Well, let’s face it, there are no bad tracks on this record.

The songs are clothed in the experimental, kind and light glockenspiel tingles of ‘Ba ba …..’, there is still the playing of the electric guitar with a bow, but there is more room for great violins and varied vocals, that are definitely more present than on ‘( )’or ‘Aegetis Byrjun’. Add some trumpets, tuba and trombones supplied by a load of skilled guest musicians, and heaven is complete. The songs are more poppy and accessible than those on ‘( )’, but in no way they lack atmosphere or depth. Every song is a song on itself, but also a logical result of the songs all together. The melodies creep deep under your skin. Can anyone listen to ‘Milano’ without getting overwhelmed by euphoria? Without wanting to throw open your doors and windows and sing along loud with open arms, without feeling the kind of hope and consolation beauty can bring…

What can I say. Oh, buy the beautiful limited edition cardboard cd-book. This record is in my top-ten of best records ever. Do I sound manic? Sure. Am I subjective? Hell, yes. Blame it on ‘Takk’, blame it on Sigur Rós…

artist: Sigur Rós
label: EMI Records
details: 11 tracks, 2005