The expectations for Sigur Rós' sixth studio album were more than high. Not only does the last album of this Icelandic group date back to 2008, a year later the complete successor to it disappeared into the trash. Especially fans of the early work of the group can now finally indulge themselves at Valtari. Where that last album sounded more accessible and poppy than ever, on Valtari they return
… with full dedication to the slow and floaty post rock of (1999) and (2002). Music as a cultural expression of a long-lost civilization, full of ghostly piano sounds and hushed soundscapes, form the backdrop for singer Jónsi's falsetto with his own language Vonlenska. Only in the third song Varúð, after about five minutes, does the music come to a nasty outburst for the first time, but stilled beauty is again the main weapon of this inimitable and unworldly group. (MR)more
