I never thought I’d be writing any review for Sigur Ros, but with their latest album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly), I’ve discovered a much different Sigur Ros than I remembered. A few years ago I gave them their initial try, but after a few songs of slow monotony, I decided they were just not my bag, and that was that, at least so I thought. “Gobbledigook” came along and gave me a happy slap on the face. I swear that I did not believe it was them figuring someone got the artist wrong. The slow depressing sound of the past Sigor Ros shed away to reveal these happy people just wanting to run free. I think the album cover really says it all. While there are still some slower songs on Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, they moreso play a part in balancing the album while giving it some thoughtful contrast. This is really a beautiful and inspiring album, and I’m thankful for its existence.
You’d want to put them in the same category as Duffy and Amy Winehouse, but their music is almost too good for that category. It has that same retro jazzy feel, but it’s a more refined one. Smooth seductive vocals with sharp gasps punctuate the chorus provided by Shana Halligan, and Kirin Shahani produces and composes these delightful songs on their debut album The Mating Game. It give me the feel of “Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend” from Moulin Rouge, but paired with some of the 70’s spastic organs, it creates this trip (hop) to an era created when eras collide.
I initially heard about Mgmt through my boyfriend who read that they were Of Montreal’s current dig, so that should tell you a lot about Mgmt already. Psychedelic sounds that take the gems of the hippy era and give them a heavier sound. This album is full of classics that break any preconceived notions of this band. Many bands with this much hype often flare then fade, but these kids have too much sound and talent to be stopped. They are serious about their sound. My personal top off of Oracular Spectacular is “The Handshake” which has this super catchy choruses. You have to wade through the trippy mud of the verses, but when they start singing “We got the handshake under our tongue” and the whistling comes in, the rainbow sludge becomes very worth it.
Mgmt’s old “Electric Feel” video was extremely tripping…
and their new version is a much more refined trip…
The name Sunnybrook matches the sounds produced by the band so nicely. The music this boy from Denton, Texas produce is exactly what you would expect to hear while sitting on the bank of a sunny brook. His music is ambient while not going so far as to be unlistenable. The song “Big Waving Hands” posted recently on Gorilla vs. Bear bears a little further to a pop inclination creating this fusion of light noise and a subtle beat. In other words, it is beautiful.
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