Sigur Rós: Kveikur 

Album: Kveikur
Artist: Sigur Rós*
Genre: Post-Rock/Industrial Dream Pop

8.4/10






     Icelandic now-trio Sigur Rós have been in the second-wave post-rock game for a long time now.  So long, in fact, that their sound has shifted further and further away from post-rock in an effort to keep from getting stale.  On Kveikur, Sigur Rós offer intricate arrangements, clashing percussion, and the scariest group of Sigur Rós songs yet.
    The album opens with "Brennisteinn", a track released months before this album came out, and it serves as a perfect intro to the textures and tones explored throughout this LP.  Guitars crash alongside what sounds like 20 drummers hitting the rims of their snares, while singular, fuzzy bass tones round out the sound, all while those signature soaring vocal melodies push the track forward.  Other tracks like "Hrafntinna" and "Ísjaki" utilize similar orchestration, but highlight certain instruments.  "Hrafntinna" utilizes chiming bells and trumpets while "Ísjaki" contains a glockenspiel melody.
    That's what makes this album great, it's smart arrangement of similar tones.  Each track has very similar instrumentation and rhythm, but by highlighting certain melodic interludes and pieces each track can stand out.  "Yfirborð" has tape loops and a mournful double bass intro.  The title track has a climbing chord progression and is the noisiest track.  "Var" ends the album with a quiet piano progression alongside droning high-register strings.
    The percussion also needs to be addressed.  The drum kit is utilized in a different way on this LP.  Each part of the kit is used in some way to drive each song.  It's not a simple bass-snare pattern with little tom fills now and again.  Everything from booming toms to dry cymbals can be heard.  This leads to a more orchestral feel on many tracks, but certain songs have a groove to them.  "Rafstaumur" is by far the poppiest track, but it's a sophisticated pop with an interesting and grooving drum part and a classic chord progression.
   Overall, there's little to complain about on this record, but it is a subtle one.  The tracks are similar, but not redundant.  It's definitely one of the more challenging Sigur Rós records, but also one of the most rewarding.  8.4 candlewicks (Kveikur in English) out of 10.

FAVE TRACKS: Brennisteinn, Yfirboro, Kveikur, Var

     *Fuck you Sigur Rós you made this great album but it's gonna take me forever to type out these track names.