best of the decade lists
17/01/2010

we’ve been compiling mentions of sigur rós in the many “best of decade” lists that have been published over the last month or two.

there were mentions for “ágætis byrjun“, “( )“, “takk” and “með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust” as well as the video for “untitled 1 / vaka”. below is a selection of mentions from the various lists:

ágætis byrjun: rolling stone
sigur rós conjured magic with drones, using strings, brass, electronics and guitars that took jimmy page’s bowing technique to new heights. but the showstopper was jónsi birgisson’s otherworldly voice, swooping between tenor confessions and falsetto ballet.

( ): npr
great records often come from unexpected places and sources: 2002’s () is the unforgettable work of sigur ros, an icelandic band playing slow instrumental music when it’s not singing in a made-up language, performing songs and an album with no pronounceable titles. cinematic and beautiful, every song captures a spirit of hope and sorrow, inexorably intertwined.

ágætis byrjun: pitchfork
discovering the music of sigur rós was an active process, because a series of questions inevitably followed: how do you pronounce their name? what does it mean? is that a man or a woman singing? did i hear right, that the words aren’t actually in any language? indeed, since ágætis byrjun was one of those records that filled a deep-seated need listeners didn’t even know they had, experiencing it was at first a little confusing. punk had taught us to be skeptical of pure, unapologetic prettiness, so as underground music fans, we’d been conditioned to reject this sort of thing. we were used to it being cut with noise, irony, or emotional distance, which left us unprepared for exquisitely crafted music that asked to be appreciated in the same way as a bright orange sunset or the first snowfall of the season. but we got over it, and once that happened, after we’d given the record a couple of spins, one final question came to mind: is there any other music like this?

með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust: pastemagazine
sigur rós’ fifth full-length balances majestic ethereality and primal, drum-pounding terrestrial fervor. on earlier records, jónsi birgisson’s crystalline falsetto arrived like wind sifting through branches, brushing gently past and raising gooseflesh. that singular voice has matured into a confident and unmistakably human instrument, to say nothing of the evocative sonic bedrock from which it flutters ever upward.

( ): state.ie
tracing a path from heaven to hell through the barren icelandic lava fields it is handel’s messiah for the electric generation and its own ‘hallejluia’ chorus, the 12 minute closing track, descends from acoustic beginnings to a bosch-like rapture and if you are luck enough to witness it live, the most intense moment you will spend in front of a band.

takk: betterpropaganda.com
from the first track, “glosoli,” you can tell that there was a call to arms. the bass line drove in like a tank and the percussion depicted sigur rós marching in, melting the snow beneath their feet. from there, we were taken on the same whimsical journey that sigur rós had always led, but one that sparked more wonder and dug much deeper. takk… was an album that was blatantly sigur rós, but, at the same time, completely different from the sigur rós we knew. it was stronger and more emotional. it still fluttered like white dove wings, but swooped in like eagle talons. and, once again, we were left looking to the heavens, gazing at the stars and clouds, trying to catch a glimpse of these enchanting beings.

a particular highlight was the listing on metacritic. sigur rós was listed as number 2 in the “artists of the decade” list (following spoon and just ahead of super furry animals).

our full list of mentions is here, if you saw any other mentions of sigur rós in any lists anywhere in the world, in any language, please let us know.