Contributed By: Corey Bolton
Created On: Thursday, 26 June 2008
Hits: 159
 Sigur Ros Whether they intend to or not, it’s difficult not to allow ones’ imagination to conjure up images of vast expansive landscapes, back-dropped by majestic icy peaks. There is a celebration of life woven into their music. Certainly, that is why 'Hoppipolla’ fitted so perfectly as the trailer-track to Attenborough’s 'Planet Earth’. Sigur Rós took to a stage eclectically littered with an assortment of instruments. Under four illuminated balloons, they opened with the beguiling 'Svefn-g-englar’ from the album 'Ágætis Byrjun’. Jónsi’s beautifully controlled falsetto was delicate, but not belying the strength of his performance, whilst his bowed-guitar reverberated throughout the church. The four band members were accompanied on stage at this point with four (rather beautiful) young ladies who collectively come under the name 'Amiina’.
Songwriters in their own right, they provided some wonderful string arrangements throughout the set. During the third song we were briefly introduced to the all-white dressed brass band that marched on from the right of stage, only to march right off again whilst playing the brief brass arrangement in 'Sé Lest’. Soon they were to join the rest of the guys and gals on stage, together creating a wonderful mix of sound that Central Hall almost couldn’t contain. When they were all at it, I thought the roof might just lift off. Just as with the illuminated balloons, or the peculiarly dressed brass band, the subtleties were not just expressed through the music but in the humour. Half way through 'Olsen Olsen’ (from 'Ágætis Byrjun’) during a short refrain the whole band froze for a few seconds and the house lights came up. Half the crowd applauded as if this was the end of the song, catching out all those who don’t know the back catalogue.
A wry smile from Jónsi and the band reanimated, taking the song to its’ crescendo. The new songs, interspersed within the set highlighted the bands continually maturing songwriting abilities. They certainly seem to have not lost any of their magic in creating this new album. If anything, albeit on first listen, there seems to be a more visceral sense of joy present in the music compared to the more ethereal Sigur Rós of their early days. They ended a wonderfully creative set with the opening track to their new album, the quirky 'Gobbledigook’. Despite an awesome, roof lifting encore and prolonged farewells, the audience still weren’t sated, demanding just a little more. Jónsi and the boys obliged taking the audience back down with, what I think, is their only song sung in English, the gentle 'All Alright’, that closes the new album. All in all, a fantastic performance from a uniquely creative band.
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