Iceland review - 2012, Page 22

20 ICELAND REVIEW
I
blame Sigur Rós. It’s all their fault,
I say. Some years ago, I worked in
a record store, with a chap named
Andy. Andy was the epitome of
cool. He was a hipster before it
was hip. Andy had impeccable taste
in music; he always knew the best
records to play and the bands to be listening to.
Andy took great pleasure in playing some often
obscure, always great-sounding records at top
volume in the store, which would ultimately
result in a split in our customer base, with half
standing stock still, and the other half rushing
for the door, fingers in their ears.
One record that Andy introduced me to
is Ágætis byrjun by the aforementioned, and
blameworthy, Sigur Rós. You will have defi-
nitely heard of Sigur Rós by now, but back
in 2000, they were almost unheard-ofs from
Iceland. Journalists spoke in mixed metaphors
and clichés about hearing the sound of wind
sweeping across volcanic rock, while Jónsi
warbled and wailed in a language dubbed as
‘Hopelandic.’ Even without the hyperbole, I
was hooked. I’d never heard anything like it
before, and cranked up loud, customers would
linger longer among the racks, seemingly fro-
zen to the floor. Hearing “Starálfur” or “Ný
batterí” would often be the highlight of my day.
Since then, I’ve been an avid fan of Sigur
Rós. This interest soon turned into an addic-
tion. This addiction really peaked with the
band’s third album, which I could have worn
out, if it were possible to wear out CDs. I found
myself traveling to Sigur Rós concerts across
the globe, being part of the ‘heima’ Icelandic
group, looking forward to their traditional end-
of-tour Reykjavík homecoming shows and
begging backstage passes to Jónsi’s solo tour.
Flights, ferry crossings, work, lack of cash—all
failed to stop me from seeing the spectacle of
Sigur Rós live. This obsession, once awakened,
became all consuming. Not only for Sigur Rós,
but for any high-quality Icelandic music.
Valtari, their most recent album, has become
a mainstay of my stereo too. I love the way it
sounds; yes, it has a little less vocal input from
Jónsi, but has been given an extra edge by the
inclusion of a choir, and I love all those little
creaks and squeaks in the background that give
such a lush, enduring texture. Put “Varúð” on
Photos By lilja birgisdóttir