toronto sun
icelandic orchestral space-rock outfit sigur rósdelivered yet another breathtaking, thoroughly original concert last night at massey hall.
one of the best shows of the year, in fact.
anything less would have been disappointing given the high expectations going in.
the reykjavik quartet's unique, otherworldly sound -- which incorporates rock, chorale, symphony, and many other sounds while frontman jónsi birgisson sings in a child-like falsetto and often plays his guitar with a bow -- broke through last year when their second album, agaetis byrjun, was met with critical raves.
even such mainstream fare as the popular tv series, c.s.i., used a long snippet of their most recognizable hit, svefn-g-englar, during an dialogue-less autopsy scene.
the effect was disorienting, astonishing, unconventional, primal, unsettling, and emotional, much like everything sigur rósdoes.
now the biggest thing out of iceland since bjork have followed up their success by issuing a challenge to listeners --an untitled album of eight untitled songs, released on tuesday, that sees birgisson singing in a made-up language that has been called hopelandic.
it sounded like most, if not all, of the new record was performed last night as the group, who visited massey hall just over a year ago, returned with a more stylized show.
backing up birgisson, keyboardist-guitarist kjartan sveinsson, bassist georg holm and drummer orri pall dyrason were an all-female string quartet, striking black and white and color visuals ranging from home movies to blurred figures and dramatic lighting.
with a hushed, attentive audience that numbered about 500 shy of a sell-out, the low-key birgisson didn't speak to the crowd except at the end when the venue wanted the band to wrap things up after they had played for about an hour-and-a-half.
"they're telling us to stop," the pale, tall and striking-looking singer said to the crowd, who responded with a chorus of boos.
"we can't play anymore but we want to play more."
and so they did. just one more song before they came out twice to take two extended bows while the audience clapped and cheered them with a standing ovation.
just think of sigur rós as the musical equivalent of that humming, vibrating black monolith in the film 2001: a space odyssey.
it intrigues and slightly frightens you with its power and its stillness, and you never really know exactly what it is.(jane stevenson)
mike wilk
hype is a bitch, bands try and shake it off like a wet dog covered in mud. sigur rós
is hyped by an army of critics and fans alike, and much like radiohead, they affirm
their hype in an almost effortless stance. regardless of all acclaim, mystique and
art-wankery surrounding sigur rós, they lived up to all the hype at their rcent
performance at massey hall. coming straight off the heels of their oddly titled "()"
album, the band hit the stage to a perfectly typical audience of indie art rockers,
who remained utterly in awe and respect throughout the bands nearly two hour performance.
at their most direct, sigur rós take the best elements of classic music and
apply it to a very cold rock aesthetic. the band is from iceland and while they try
to shake of the clichéd image of them playing next to dark desolate snowcaps
and barren icelandic land, its undeniably hard when their music is so solemnly beautiful
yet unfamiliar, original and otherworldly. the band performed a few fan favourites
from their 2000 release agaetis byrjun, as well as nearly all of the new album. there
was very little to criticize as their performance was an amazing representation of
their recorded material while it was additionally performed with a hauntingly mesmerizing
live touch. as soon as lead singer jónsi birgisson struck the first few lyrics
of opening song untitled 1 (known as "vaka"), the precedent was set for the incredible
voice the man has which truly had neck hairs raising and the audience shivering. while
jónsi's vocals are all sung in icelandic or his own gibberish language, hopelandish,
there was still a distinct sense of heartbreak, loss, and love that was carried over
to his lyrics. understanding the words was simply not necessary. the show continued
on with the band eventually building to their best material; the final two untitled
tracks from "()" which showcased how the band can shift gears from quiet lovelorn
balladry to avalanche inducing chaos and noise, yet while containing the song with
a structure. the show eventually ended, and after watching the band appear for two
bows to an electric, appreciative and amazed crowd, it was certain that this was without
the shadow of a doubt one of the best live performances i've ever witnessd. living
up to the hype and affirming the audience's highest hopes, surpassing all preconceived
notions of how beauty and chaos can exist in loud, dark music without any clichés,
sigur rós did it all.
(mike wilk)
