ÁTTA

The Icelandic falsetto king Jónsi is back with his Icelandic friends to deliver the newest ethereal chill out from his majestic SIGUR ROS band, an act that pretty much dominated the late 90s and early 2000s on the post-rock scene but in recent years has fallen fairly silent. I have to admit that i have not kept up with SIGUR RÓS since its 2013 album "Kveikar" but i've noticed the discography filling up ever since. Well as it turns out that was their last official albums and all those releases in between were either soundtracks, remix albums or an ambient project that has sported the SIGUR RÓS PRESENTS moniker.

This band has been around in some shape or form for almost three decades and is back in 2023 to prove once again who dominated the ambient pop sector of the post-rock universe only this time the band has gone full blown symphonic on us with a 41-piece orchestra to craft those fragile soundscapes that made albums like "Ágætis byrjun" sound like the soundtrack to the gates of heaven with an army of producers and engineers to bring it all to fruition. Technically the band has only four members this time around but ÁTTA (which means "eight" in Icelandic and coincides with this being the band's eighth studio album) sounds like a monstrous modern classical masterworks of the ages.

With an eye-catching album cover of a rainbow igniting in flames, ÁTTA may not deliver a fiery set of tracks but rather maintains the band's status quo as that Icelandic band that can emulate the landscapes of its homeland through sound. Icy and cold motifs slowly gestate like icebergs slowly navigating in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic with Jónsi's distinct vocal style captaining the ship. Very much in character of the band's earlier works, ÁTTA features ten tracks that add up to 56 1/2 minutes. In addition to this ambitious album that features a whopping 41 musicians providing the modern classical backdrop, it was announced that there will be a live tour with as many musicians to match. Sounds like one expensive event but SIGUR RÓS is clearly still about the art form above all else.

While the album is as impressive as the band's earliest output up until around "( )" or "Takk," what ÁTTA seems to lack is a firm sense of perspective and therefore falls flat as far as maintaining some diversity in the varying tracks. Pretty much all the tracks from the opening "Glóð" to the closing "8" maintain a nonchalant post-rock procession that eschews percussive drive altogether and allows the orchestrated atmospheric touches to dominate the flow. While there are really no annoying tracks on board, it's also the case that SIGUR RÓS has fallen into its comfort zone and pretty much delivers a set of tracks that have been done before and better for that matter. The fact is that ÁTTA doesn't add anything to the SIGUR RÓS universe save the pompousness of a larger than life orchestral presence.

This album is pleasant enough and if you are a diehard fan you will eat this up like Icelandic Þristur (fudgy chocolate pieces filled with licorice) but for my tastes i'm fairly underwhelmed by this comeback album some 20 years after this sound still possessed a major wow factor. ÁTTA finds SIGUR RÓS floating around by taking the business as usual approach and while this may be the right setting for a beautiful live tour which incorporates past glories into the mix of a 41-piece orchestra, as a new album this is fairly average. The world of post-rock has evolved significantly since SIGUR RÓS first unleashed this sound almost a quarter of a century ago and it's not one that really sounds awful or anything of the sort but it does sound a bit stale considering this band has tackled a variety of differing styles over its career. A good album but really nothing beyond that.

The band's first studio album in ten years shows the band relying completely on atmospheric synths, full orchestra, and the virtuosic voice of their angelic leader.

1. "Glóð" (3:39) Jónsi with orchestra. Pretty flat and nondescript. (8.5/10)

2. "Blóðberg" (7:16) nice meditative float. (13.125/15)

3. "Skel" (4:58) more angel-hosted slow walking. (8.75/10)

4. "Klettur" (6:31) nice cinematic low end opening--with tympanic tribal drum driving the way. Definitely a top three for me. (9/10)

5. "Mór" (5:47) big orchestral song with early crescendo and long, drawn out postlude. (8.75/10)

6. "Andrá" (4:07) Jónsi's low-register dirge slowly builds with orchestra support for two minutes before yielding to a gently picked nylon string guitar. At first it's alone, but then Jónsi returns and the orchestra swells around them. Interesting. (8.75/10)

7. "Gold" (5:13) piano, synth textures, and distant, ethereal Jónsi vocalizations are topped by Jónsi's clear (though heavily effected) up-front vocal dominating the soundscape. Slow, steady beat from a low percussive in straight walking time as Jónsi, synthscape, & strings swirl heavenly like water flowing upward. Another top three song. (8.875/10)

8. "Ylur" (5:55) 45 seconds of atmospheric cave-guitar chords before Jónsi joins in. Nice music for a nice vocal--virtuosic. My other top three song. (8.875/10)

9. "Fall" (3:27) effected-electric piano, playing a sequence of chords, spaciously, over and over. Jónsi joins in to sing within the chords, in time with the chords' syncopation. Again, very professional vocal. (8.666667/10)

10. "8" (9:41) more PETER GABRIEL-like slow treated piano chord progressions with light strings and Jónsi's protracted vocalizations. The second half of the song devolves into a kind of HAROLD BUDD funeral dirge heard as if coming from a different room in the same funeral home. (17/20)

Total Time 56:34

B/four stars; a nice, peaceful, almost meditative journey into the pre-Gates of St. Peter clouds and sky. Nice if you're a fan or collector or contemplative; not sure if there's anything here for the prog or Post Rock lover who's looking for something fresh or innovative.

Sigur Rós have already made a name for themselves as one of Iceland's most compelling musical collectives, with their ethereal blend of rock music with ambient and orchestral sounds. Occasionally bordering the definition of progressive, their place among the most uniquely evolving musical entities is undoubtedly important, as they have become impressively well-known through a music that is uncompromising with its non-conformism. After a decade-long pause, the band came back with their eighth studio album 'Átta'. A reunion with a former member graces this self-produced album, that was partially recorded in the band's homeland as well as at Abbey Road Studios. The album sees the three core members Jón Birgisson, Georg Hólm, and Kjartan Sveinsson jamming and improvising predominantly on a myriad of pianos and synths, while working on the simultaneous orchestration of the pieces.

The result is a flamboyant and expansive modern classical sound that incorporates the calmness so prevalent in all of Sigur Rós' music, and intertwines it with the vibrant meditations on the state of the world, as disclosed by the band itself. Slowly built-up tensions gradually evolve into magical melodies that portray the cinematic qualities of the band's sound, where percussions are rarely used, so that a more ambient, ascended effect is achieved. The record develops slowly and gracefully unveils its charm before the listener, as the orchestral embrace leads the compositions to the ever so dreamy atmosphere of the Sigur Rós universe. This could not be a canon album for the band (yet it is a fantastic step forward), as it seems they rely less on their alternative music backgrounds, and rather opted for a more elevated musical presentation that pays off beautifully.