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This calm lasts briefly, however, as a maddening mixture of strings and brass create one of the most memorable moments on the entire record. This builds and builds until the four minute mark, where things die down. Jonsi refrains from going into his falsetto range, giving the piece a much more down to earth feel. Cello and violin give the song an incredible amount of poise and elegance.

The intro to “Starálfur” displays the heavy usage of strings on the album. About six minutes in, the song loses its composure for but a few seconds, with Jonsi giving a light holler, until everything glides back down again, slowly fading away into static. Deep, reverberating bass gives a solid foundation to the twinkling sounds and light percussion that gives the vocals some weight. The song opens with echoing feedback and bold ambience, which quickly gives way to Jonsi’s delicate falsetto. “Svefn-G-Englar” offers the album’s first true piece. Everything from the minimal “Intro,” to the lush, ambient “Avalon” gives the record a sense of “completeness,” as nothing sounds contrived or out of place. These small imperfections actually add indelible amounts of charm to the record, giving character and beauty to minor blemishes and imperfections.Įvery piece on the record is wonderful, and the thought and inspiration in each one is felt. Instead of pure tone, the rushing of breath can be heard in the various brass instruments used. The vocals aren’t as silky smooth, and the transitions between falsetto and normal singing are less than seamless. The album feels more “raw” in comparison to the band’s other works, with the production making everything far less polished than on ( ) and Takk…. Strings, percussion, and Jonsi’s signature falsetto mix perfectly, and the time it took to make it perfect clearly shows, as Ágætis byrjun rarely, if ever, dips in quality. The record seemingly is filled with infinite layers, coalescing into something more than the sum of its parts. The album took almost a year to record, and it’s easy to see why. Jonsi Birgisson found is voice, and the band behind him found the inspiration to create something profound. Ágætis byrjun marked an immense change in the band’s sound, as it largely did away with the electro-dream pop influences, and embraced cold, ethereal ambience and lush post-rock sounds capes. With the internet at this time becoming a hotbed for musical discovery, the album found its way into blogs and websites, and eventually into international success. Thus, Ágætis byrjun floated about for some months until some impressive radio play helped boost record sales. Hand-gluing the cases themselves (much to the behest of those receiving copies destroyed by said glue), and playing wherever they possibly could, Sigur Ros were just barely getting by. Hailing from Iceland, a miniscule, cold, island nation miles away from any bustling mainland, Sigur Ros didn’t quite have the necessary tools to make an impression on the international scene. Two years removed from their debut album, Von, Sigur Ros were still an unknown act, bordering on the fringe of breakthrough and fading into obscurity. You see, Ágætis byrjun is more than just a picturesque image of “pretty” and “beautiful,” but rather, a maelstrom of many different kinds of sounds.Īt the time of it’s release, the album didn’t exactly make waves. And “gorgeous” is what this album truly has in spades, and is oddly what detracts from everything else at hand. It turns post-rock conventions on their heads, and warps them into what Sigur Ros see fit, which in this case, is undeniably gorgeous. In this sense, it feels wholly organic, and in some instances, like a living, breathing work. It feels accidental, really, as if Sigur Ros somehow stumbled upon these notes and these sounds, all converging into what is found on the album. Ágætis byrjun, an album understandable to few, and in some cases, only one, can still be felt by anyone, simply on the basis of how it presents itself. To this reviewer, Ágætis byrjun is one such work. This is what makes the idea, the presence that is music such a wonderfully part of life, and why some pieces can transcend language, social, and cultural barriers. Music can speak without saying anything, and be felt without actually being physical. Music can affect people the world over, and universally become more than anything tangibly describable. Music can cover a wide spectrum of thoughts, ideals, and emotions, become more than mere sounds fluttering in open space, and more than the dashes and lines upon a score.

Review Summary: 1999 Sigur Ros broke down doors we didn’t even really know existed, and in the vast expanse that is the landscape of music, that is a truly revolutionary accomplishment.