sigur ros

There's something about Iceland. Maybe it's the fjords, but somehow the quiet north-Atlantic nation has managed to put out some of the best music of the past fifteen years, Sigur Ros being a prime example.

In their usual grandiose fashion, the Icelandic post-rock quartet has returned with a double CD entitled Hvarf-Heim. The album's material is not so much new as it is different. The first disc, Hvarf (meaning "disappeared" or "haven") is a five-track collection of unreleased songs and reworked material from older albums. Disc two, Heim (meaning "home") contains acoustic versions of six songs from the Sigur Ros catalogue.

While the album maintains the ethereal mood that has come to characterize Sigur Ros' work, the recycling of material is anything but boring. Rather, revisiting their earlier works adds a new dimension to Sigur Ros' music.

"Hafsol," a revamped version of a song from 1997's Von, manages a completely different sound. Coming in at almost 10 minutes, the song opens with a bass string and flows into Jonsi's transfixing vocals, building energy until it erupts into chaos. At the end, it quietly fades out with a piccolo, but the epic track is a clear example of the band's musical savvy, incorporating a variety of sounds and instruments while achieving a symphonic effect in under 10 minutes. Even more impressive is that the track is so different from the original version that it is hard to even identify the source material.

The acoustic tracks on disc two provide a fitting counterpoint to Hvarf's complexity. While the stripped-down songs allow Jonsi's voice to shine, classics "Staralfur" and "Agaetis Byrjun" cannot hold up without the electric edge. The other four tracks, "Von" and "Vaka" especially, demonstrate an elegantly simple functionality, even without the elaborate overflow of their studio versions.

Hvarf-Heim is clear evidence of Sigur Ros' musical aptitude. Without writing a single new song, the band has crafted a stunning reevaluation of their best works on par with the majesty of the originals.