Sigur Ros - 'Hvarf-Heim' (EMI) Released 05/11/07

It’s been a long two years since Sigur Ros’ last album ‘Takk…’ but the wait is finally over and has been proved worthwhile with their latest release, ‘Hvarf-Heim’, a double compilation album designed to compliment their first foray into film with the DVD release of ‘Heima’. Crisp, dazzling and emotive, ‘Hvarf-Heim’ is the stuff that Icelandic fairytales are made of and is a dream come true for Sigur Ros purists. ‘Hvarf’ or ‘Disappeared’, contains five tracks of largely unreleased material from Sigur Ros’ back catalogue starting with ‘Salka’ which nearly but inexplicably didn’t make it onto 2002’s ‘( )’ album. Named after bass player Georg Holm’s eldest daughter, it’s a big introduction to the album and goes a long way in shattering the illusion held by many that Sigur Ros are nothing more than an above average pop ensemble.

‘Hijomalind’ dates back to 1999 and has forcibly created a legendary status for itself among diehard fans, despite its simplistic three chord structure. Written for the first sessions after the critically acclaimed ‘Ágætis Byrjun’ album, it very nearly ended up on a work in progress EP, but unhappy with the finished product, it was simply shelved, never to see the light of day, until now. ‘I Gaer’ is more complicated; a broken music box lending a chilling and potentially ghoulish air to Jon Birgisson’s ethereal falsetto vocal, affording the listener the time and means to suspend disbelief and let their imagination run wild. The album closes with two reworking's of tracks that appear on the bands debut album; ‘Von’ (the title track) and ‘Hafsol’. Already songs well known and loved by many, these versions illustrate how both the tracks and the band themselves have organically grown over the years through live performance, increased confidence and amplified musical understanding.

‘Heim’ or ‘Home’ contains six live acoustic tracks, unplugged versions of some of the bands most memorable moments which have never previously been performed in quite this way. ‘Samskeyti’ combines piano, harmonium and violin to forge a rare Sigur Ros instrumental. A favourite of ‘Ágætis Byrjun’, ‘Starlafur’ is a victim of its own beauty in as much as it is seldom played live, as the band feel they cannot do the studio recording justice. But on ‘Heim’ they pull it off to perfection and provide a rare listening treat of understated proportions. ‘Vaka’ (AKA ‘Untitled #1’) was the impetus for the ‘Hvarf-Heim’ project; after performing it at a protest camp at the Karahnjukar Dam and watching the results back on tape they decided that ‘Heim’ should follow the acoustic route and judging by the album so far, it’s a decision that has more than been justified.

Another rare treat is ‘Ágætis Byrjun’ which is rarely included in their live set. Recorded in an empty community hall in Vik on the South Coast of Iceland it’s the same performance from the film (‘Heima’) that the album accompanies; and alongside ‘Heysatan’ supplies the soundtrack to a fresh lungful of breathtaking winter sunshine. Concluding the album is another adaptation of ’Von’; although already making an appearance on ‘Hvarf’, this version provides a stark contrast to the previous electric version and is one that will stun those not all too familiar with Sigur Ros and bring unadulterated smiles to the faces of those who are.

‘Hvarf-Heim’ is a cracking album and is accessible to longstanding fans and curious listeners alike, but like any collection of celebrated and renowned songs from a band with over a decade of history to their credit, it’s an album best enjoyed by those who are familiar with the band, the people and the stories behind the music.

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