Hvarf-Heim
by Sigur Rós
Release Date: November 5th 2007
Tracklist: Salka / Hljómalind / Í gær / Von / Hafsól / Samskeyti / Starálfur / Vaka / Ágætis byrjun / Heysátan
I've
been listening to Sigur Rós for a while now, although not
necessarily in the right way - I've been listening to them as background music
or music to fall asleep to. I was first introduced to them through their album Takk... with a couple of
tracks in particular: Hoppípolla, Sæglópur. These two tracks are also the
tracks that are probably most recognisable, if you haven't already heard
of Sigur Rós themselves. These tracks, and a few others, have
been played in soundtracks for films and TV shows due to their otherworldly
beauty and instrumental qualities that fit well with certain scenes that they
accompany. Unexpectedly Sigur
Rós sing in their native tongue, and this is only unexpected as quite
often most artists will choose to sing in English. Even though this is the
case, they are as well known as or maybe more so than the Swedish duo First Aid
Kit, or the Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson from The Tallest Man On
Earth.
Hvarf – Heim is an album built upon
a compilation of songs that have either been released already on previous
albums and a few songs that haven’t been released. The album is split up between
studio-recorded tracks and live recordings. I haven’t listened to this album
for long, not properly anyway – as I did go through a stage of listening to Sigur Rós while I studied for my first
year exams – but I’ve finally listened to this album properly today (and by
properly, I mean this music being my only focus by putting headphones in and
this album becoming my world for the little time that it is). The album, not
unlike other Sigur Rós albums, is
full of tracks that are most probably classed as extended as there isn’t a
track under four minutes and the longest track is that of nine minutes.
From my non-stop listening to this
album from around midday today, I’ve already discovered my favourite tracks, Vaka
being one of them. The piece starts off similar to other Sigur Rós tracks, slow and sustained gradually building into
something bigger with an exploration of texture and sonority. This wasn’t what
grabbed me for this song, what connected me to this piece is what happens in
the final section and the concluding bars. The piece suddenly overwhelms you,
as Jónsi’s (the lead singer of Sigur Rós) vocal line moves to another
level, pushing his range higher than before while he sings a beautiful melody
line that is graceful and cathartic. I know it’s probably bad, that although I
have loved the rest of the album, it takes me eight songs to finally find the
song that affects me most. Even though this is the case, I have other
favourites that are earlier in the track listing, such as Starálfur, the second and
this time, live, version of Von on the album, Hafsól,
and Heysátan (as, if I list all of my favourites, this post could
last for a very long time).
Starálfur, is one of the pieces that
they have previously released on another album, Ágætis byrjun, this track is one of
their most recognisable from this album due to the memorable bridge that
introduces the piece and is repeated throughout in between the verses and
choruses that Jónsi sings (that has
most definitely been used in a soundtrack of some sort). The bridge is constructed from sustained
strings – with the first violin playing the melody, close and in the foreground
– and a piano ostinato in the background, this bridge (as I mentioned earlier)
is used between the sections of Jónsi
singing – with his voice in the foreground and sustained drone-like strings in
the background. A solo acoustic guitar is used at the end of phrases, around
half way through and then in the concluding bars where the texture of the piece
is stripped down adding to the intimacy of the piece.
The other pieces that I haven’t
spoken about yet, that you should all definitely listen to are: Von,
Hafsól and Heysátan. All of these tracks have been released elsewhere
before they were released on this album. Both Von and Hafsól
were originally released on Sigur Rós’
debut album, Von and Heysátan
was first released on Takk…. On this
album, Von is played twice. The first version is studio-recorded where
sustained strings lead into the piece with some elements of dissonance are occasionally applied against this. Until Jónsi’s
vocals appear, and it slowly builds in texture, creating this cacophony of
sound gradually intensifying and develops the underlining beauty behind this
piece. The second version of Von is again developing an already
brilliant track, the piece is beautiful and carries this otherworldly atmosphere
while Jónsi’s voice, placed in the
foreground of the live recording, is graceful and almost cleansing.
Hafsól, is introduced with fast and
short notes on the bass creating an ostinato pattern that is then imitated by
the delicate rhythms on the symbols of the drum kit while drones are played in
the background on the harmonium before Jónsi’s
voice is overlaid. Slowly the drums build, as hushed harmonies are played while
Jónsi sings. The sound and the
texture builds, like most Sigur Rós songs
do, with pizzicato on the strings playing an ostinato that adds even further to
this piece. This piece is the longest on the album, and even though it is it
really doesn’t feel like it. Their tracks, although much longer than most, play
with ease and content. Even when you’re listening solely to their tracks the
time still passes without even thinking that the track has been over nine
minutes long.
Heysátan is the penultimate track on
the album, without any major section of rhythm it gradually pushes forward with
the droning chords that are placed in the background. For me, the focus of this
piece is Jónsi’s vocal line, has a beautiful melody that takes
over the piece. Although sometimes, their pieces build up in
texture and sonority, they don't become heavy like most, they develop into
beautiful cacophonies of sound that overwhelm your mind and emotions in the
best of ways.
So after all that, I think it’s fair
to say that I think you should all go and listen to this album, and easily
enough, I’ve made it so that you don’t even have to go and search for it, as the
entire album is just below for you to listen to.
forteloud rating: 5/5
(If you haven't already listened to Sigur Rós previously and this album is your introduction to them (and you like what you've heard), listen to their 2005 album, Takk...)
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