Agaetis Byjun - Sigur Ros (Fatcat Records)

All right, all right...it might be a bit of a mouthful to pronounce (you say it like Sugar Ross) but don't let the lack of the English language put you off this spellbinding record. The band, are one of the biggest things to come out of Iceland, yes OK, Iceland may not be the hot-bed on international musical talent... but then we shouldn't ignore the foreign language music scene like many of us do.

Coming on strong like Mogwai, but with angelic singing and the biggest symphony orchestra providing support this essential late night listening, after working a long spell of Coursework or even just if you want to chill. If yer in 'the know', Mogwai are a Scottish instrumentalists, who are top, but for me their best stuff is the slow ambient pieces with echoey guitars sauntering in the background and this is the direction Sigur Ros are coming from.

Opener Svefn-G-Englar will have you hooked, I promise you, sounding like a laid-back Radiohead jamming with Pink Floyd, this is definitely for the ultra-chilled and those who need to de-stress. The singer then opens his mouth and the beauty washes out over the track, his voice is a high-pitch falsetto, kind-a Jeff Buckely, Billy Corgan out of the Smashing Pumpkins and if that sounds good you'll love the rest of the album. I remember when this track was a late night fave on Alternative Nation on MTV and fell in love with it on my first hearing, listen to it I promise you'll be bound to do he same.

To be honest, many people need to know the words to the songs to connect and understand the emotion and meaning but somehow Sigur Ros achieve that. Although the whole album is sung in Icelandic the tone of the tunes and the nature of the voice make it a touching hour of listening. Other highlights include former single Ny-Batteri and 'out-there' track Avalon but the album has to be listened to as a whole to fully appreciate its magnificence.

Go on, give it a try, you never know, this could be a soundtrack, to yer late night thoughts about life, the universe and everything, that you'll never forget.

If you liked this, then you'll love:

'Come on Die Young' - Mogwai

'OK Computer' - Radiohead

'Siamese Dream' - The Smashing Pumpkins

by ChrisM