Actually very special how Sigur Rós manages to appeal to a much larger audience than you would expect at first sight. Just think: there are no traditional song structures, they sing in an unintelligible language and you have to guess at the appearance of the band members. It is precisely this mysterious haze that distinguishes this Icelandic group from the majority of their colleagues. For the
… seventh album Kveikur ('candle wick') the group has been reduced to a trio. You wouldn't say that at first hearing, because in some songs the string and wind instruments tumble over each other. In their own words this is the most aggressive album of the band. Isn't that a bit strange for a group whose sound has so often been described as 'still'? The distorted opening notes of this album will startle some Sigur Rós fans, but with his thin voice, frontman Jónsi still sounds just as angelic. Kveikur may sound a bit poppy, but fans of previous Sigur Rós albums need not fear. Kveikur also achieves the high standard that the group set for itself with previous albums. (PdK)more
