Sigur Rós: Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust (2LP) [KRUNK]

Why you'll love it

This 2LP set spreads the album across four sides, pressed in Germany. It reached No. 5 in the UK and No. 15 on the Billboard 200, went gold in the UK, and scored 81 on Metacritic.

This edition

• 2LP set
• Pressed in Germany

About the album

The title translates as "With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly," which is about as good a description of a Sigur Rós album as anyone has managed. This one, though, opens the windows. After years of glacial hymns, the band co-produced with Flood and let in daylight, acoustic guitars and a lot of hand claps.

They recorded between January and April 2008 at their Sundlaugin studio in Iceland, Sear Sound in New York, London and Havana, with one song captured live at Abbey Road. "Gobbledigook" is a stomping, joyful opener that premiered on BBC Radio 1, "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" bursts with brass, and "Festival" builds from a near whisper to a full-throated roar; Danny Boyle later used it in 127 Hours. Strings were recorded in Kjartan Sveinsson's living room and in Langholtskirkja church. The closer, "All Alright," is the band's first album track sung in English.

Ryan McGinley's photo of a gang of young runners dashing across a highway made the cover. Somewhere in Iceland, we like to imagine, they're still running and still in a very good mood about it.

Also at Kops: more Sigur Rós on vinyl · browse Alternative

Tracklist

Listen

On Krúnk (cat# KRUNK74LP), a reissue of the 2008 album.