Sigur Ros
Album: Valtari
Label: Parlophone
Tracks: 8
Website: http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk

As expected, the most predictable thing about this new Sigur Ros set is its very unpredictability. Pity the fool who comes looking for a Hollipolla revisit. In fact, pity the sonic adventurer who thought it might bear some relation to the pop explorations of their last record, 2008's meo sui i eyrum, vio spilum endalaust. And yet, this is unmistakably Sigur Ros, from the epic track lengths to the melodic qualities of the invented Hopelandic words that pass for lyrics.

With a four-year gap since the band's last studio album punctuated by frontman Jonsi's solo album, a film soundtrack and a live album, there's a level of expectation about this record that may be fairly new to the three members who've been busy having babies while Jonsi has been taking care of business. Even allowing for the global consumption of Hollipolla (that's the one from the Planet Earth telly series in case you're wondering), there's more riding on this than any previous Sigur Ros outing.

It's an altogether more inward-looking affair than meo sui… and nowhere near as prone to euphoric explorations at 2005's landmark album, Takk. Instead it recalls the more subdued moments of the debut, Von.

The early stand out is Ekki Mukk with its percussive use of radio noise and speaker pops to back Jonsi's wafting e-bow guitar; although the sonic stream of consciousness on Varoeldur also gives it a run for its money.

The drone experiments are continued through the melancholia of the title track and the stunning settlement of Dauoalogn - music so well painted it should be a picture - only on Rembihnutur does the group configure its musings in anything resembling a proper song.

Ordinarily that would be very bad news indeed for a pop record, but this is Sigur Ros and nothing is quite as it seems. Valtari is a musical immersion tank, a gentle re-introduction to the world where all is peace, all is calm and beauty rules the day. Cherish it.

Nick Churchill
www.thegranvillechambers.co.uk