ÁGÆTIS BYRJUN

I can think of very few albums in the last 20 years which feel and sound as if they come out of nowhere--are unlike anything else that came before them--are so unique that they stand out so starkly from the rest of music of the day. KARDA ESTRA's Eve, THE MARS VOLTA's De-loused in the Comatorium, ULVER's Shadows of the Sun, and MAUDLIN OF THE WELL's Part the Second are a few of the others that come to mind. Several songs on this 1999 album are to this date among the best ever made in the Post Rock/Math Rock sub-genre: "Svefn-G-Englar" (10:06) (19/20), "Flugufrelsarinn" (9/10) and "Starálfur" (6:46) (9/10). "Ny Batteri" (8:12) (15/15) still never fails to leave me stunned/in awe every time I hear it.

1. "Intro" (1:36) let's you know you're in for something new and unusual. Kind of psychedelia-BEATLES-esque (4.5/5)

2. "Svefn-g-englar (Sleep(walk)ing Angels)" (10:04) So simple. So amazing. Organ, bowed electric guitar, brushed snare drum, and Jón's unusual falsetto. (19.5/20)

3. "Starálfur (Staring Elf)" (6:46) strings and keys open this classic. Jónsi uses a lower octave range for his voice. He sounds like a normal kid. It sounds like a song of reverence or worship. Awesome arrangement. (13.5/15)

4. "Flugufrelsarinn (The Fly's Savior)" (7:48) back to the sounds and styles of song #2 with a little more emphasis on moving and screeching of the "whale" guitar. Again, Jónsi chooses a different singing style--more mid-range--deeper and fuller voice. I like the bass and organ lines on this one. (13.5/15)

5. "Ný Batterí (New Batteries)" (8:10) simple one of the most unusual and powerful songs of my life. It gets me every time, from start to deep brass to crashing drums to finish. (15/15)

6. "Hjartað Hamast (bamm Bamm Bamm) (The Heart Pounds (boom boom boom))" (7:10) has a little DOORS/classic rock feel to it with the slow-bouncing organ chords--but then Jónsi's guitar enters to tell us otherwise. The vocal section truly harkens back to the psychedelic blues-jazz of the late 1960s. The chorus section sound more BEATLES-like--though more psychedelic than John, Paul, George, and Ringo ever went. Love the prominent strings in the second half and final section. (13.75/15)

7. "Viðrar Vel Til Loftárasa (Good Weather for an Airstrike)" (10:17) the title tells you exactly what it feels like you're hearing in the opening minute. Piano and deep bass eventually take over playing a pleasant, almost familiar ELTON JOHN-like piece--even when the full strings join in. Pedal lap/slide guitar joins in. Jónsi doesn't start singing till half way into the song--and then it feels/sounds secondary, extemporaneous, almost stream-of-conscious/demo-like. Slows to a standstill for just a few piano notes/chords before the whole "orchestra" unleashes it's crescendo of sound. Sounds like famous end of the HOLLIES song ("All I Need Is the Air that I Breathe"). Spectacular! Beautiful! One of the best endings I've ever heard of any song! Too bad the rest of the song didn't quite live up to that standard. (18.5/20)

8. "Olsen Olsen" (8:03) rolling bass and slow drum beat provide background for Jónsi's far-in-the-background falsetto vocals for the first two minutes. Strings join in in the fifth minute with male choral vocalise. The first and only weak song on the album. (12/15)

9. "Ágætis Byrjun (A Good Beginning)" (7:55) bass, slow drums, and piano slowly open this one before electric piano gently solos over the top. At 1:20 electric piano stops as Jónsi's high pitched voice enters (up front) singing with those long, sustained vowels. A second, higher octave piano arpeggio is added between the first and second verses and continues throughout. Electric piano (glockenspiel) arpeggio is added after the second verse. By now Jónsi is using a broader range of octaves. Okay song. Might mean more if I knew the lyrics. (12.5/15)

10. "Avalon" (4:02) opens with low end electronica filling the sonic field. Pitch-mobile "horns" join in and take over during third and fourth minutes. Great ending to a great album. (9/10)

Total Time: 71:51

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music and a genre-defining album and gut-wrenching listening experience (especially the flawless first half).