[holden]

Well, i've only listened to this two times through, so my opinions might change with repeated plays, but the first response is: pleasant but typical Sigur Ros.

Listening to Agaetus Byrjun, i got the feeling that something very special and epic was happening to the state of modern music.

For (), it was immediate emotional response to the beautiful and multilayered tunes.

Takk sounds, so far, like a (mostly) happier version of what they've done before. Given i've also heared the Split Sides performance and Hlemmer, so i've perhaps taken some of their experiments with voice and toyboxes for granted. But the songs here all involve the same pieces...twinkling reverb-laden pianos, lush falsettos, weird shrieks and guitar noises, and the eventual "big build": crashing drums, the bow-shredded guitar, the choral effects. It's all really nice...it's just what Sigur Ros always do.

"Milano" and "Gong" are standouts ...probably because i'd heard them live and this is just as effective as having them playing loud in a concert hall. And for those who are worrying about the happier/childlike sound...it's not that sunny, particularly the last few tracks. It's just not as consistently depressing as ().