( )

Sigur Ros' enigmatically entitled ( ) finds the band moving in the same sort of achingly beautiful crystal wonderland of sound as the preceding album. Many of the tracks on the album had been live staples of the band for some time, which really shows in the way they are polished and judged expertly - of course they develop slowly and organically, that's a hallmark of post- rock, but there isn't one which either outstays its welcome by being too long or fails to realise its potential by being too short. There's also excellent use of the human voice as an instrument, something which isn't often attempted by Sigur Ros' challengers to the post-rock crown like Mogwai or Godspeed You Black Emperor. On the whole, I actually think this is the band's true masterpiece.