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Elly Roberts reviews
EMI
- Cat.no: 3372522
- Released: September 2005
- Rating: 6/10
At the time of writing the review,it’s Monday September 12, and I’m sunbathing in the glory of an unexpectedIndian summer – working at the same time of course!
On my PC is a CD by troubadour Icelandic quartet Sigur Ros. Thoughtsimmediately turn to Iceland, an island few people venture to, though I didmeet someone from there last year. The music I’m listening to (not a threeminute pop song in sight), takes me to another place, sub-consciously, oreven stimulus bound by the word Iceland, to the distant island I wouldimagine.
And that’s exactly what I’m doing – imagining. I’m running throughsome kind of rapid storyboard of how to add images in my mind’s eye.The four young men responsible for my trip are – Jon ‘Jonsi’ Birgisson, KjartanSvenisson, Orri Pall Dyrason and Georg Holm.
Takk (Thanks) is their fourth studio release, out on September 12 on EMIRecords. The quartet have released a strangely titled single and albums inthe past two years with little impact on the UK charts – their last albumjust crawled into the top 50 at 49. So what chance has Takk got on improvingon their abysmal early record? Critics seem to love it, and there’s bound tobe a queue of tv and film directors already lining it up for some up-and-comingproject. Commercial success is not on the cards, some might say it’s a poorman’s Tubular Bells (Mike Oldfield). ‘Musos’ will probably lap it up.
Musically it’s very attractive: quirky, and almost ground-breaking. It’salso deceptive. Opener, Takk, limping along at one minute 57 seconds drawsyou into a false sense of comfort as it leads into Glosoli which gratinglycrescendos into power-mode at 4 minutes 43 seconds of its 6 minutes 15seconds. Hoppipolla could be a confused Coldplay, which rises and falls tosome grand orchestration. The next track is almost the same. Se Lest is sodelicate it’s almost in danger of shattering into tiny bits until a ‘brassband’ section just holds it together. Fragility continues on Saeglopur untilthumping chords once again shatter the illusion, a formula included onMilano (10 mins 25 secs) and Svo Hljott. Advari is serene throughout andvery sleepy.
It finishes as it started, with the chill-out and meandering Heysatan.
For the ordinary pop fan this will leave you wondering, particularly as thevocalist (Jon ‘Jonsi’ Birgisson) is singing in an invented language -Hopelandic. Add the music and lyrics together we’re left to work things outfor ourselves for over an hour and five minutes. That’s what pop music isn’tabout, so therefore ‘art’ becomes more complex, and dare I say it,intellectual.
There are wondrous moments of beauty, tenderness, finesse,bemusement, apocalyptic highs and trickiness – with an odd-nod to Coldplay(not too much though).Centre stage is the singing, which curiously becomessubliminal, but blends in at the appropriate timing, adding to the variousambiences on offer.
If the end is nigh, and there is another apocalyptic event, then this issurely the soundtrack for it.
Did I really hear this, or was I just imagining once again?
Weblink:Sigur-Ros.co.uk
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Takk
2. Glosoli
3. Hoppipolla
4. Med Blodnasir
5. Se Lest
6. Saeglopur7. Milano
8. Gong
9. Adravi
10. Svo Hljott
11. Heysatan
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.