- Label
- EMI
- Release date
- 5th November 2007
- Genre
- Post-rock
Icelandic noiseniks turn up the drone
Treading a path which meanders sometimes towards Tortoise-esque post-rock, sometimes around drone-rock’s more lachrymose side, and which sometimes gets perilously close to Nordic experimentation, jazz-tinged minimalism and classical orchestration, Sigur Ros have basked in critical adoration for years – certainly since the release of their second album, ().
Hvarf-Heim is a collection of previously unreleased older tracks – and this time around, there is a lot of drone-rock influence running alongside the gorgeous, sweeping instrumentation and fine melodies which shaped their last album, Tack. Drenched in feedback, strings and echo, shot through with long, ululating tones and crashing percussion, and startlingly heavy in places, tracks such as ì Gær – a crashing, melancholy affair – are among their best work and capture the live experience perfectly. This is not an album with which you should introduce yourself to the band – try Takk, the least solemn of their full-length outings, for that – but it’s a welcome addition to the post-rock canon and not so experimental as to be offputting to non-fans.
More to try: Tortoise – Millions Now Living Will Never Die Jim O’Rourke - Insignificance Yo La Tengo - Painful
