It's easy to get lost in the sounds of Sigur Rós. The Icelandic group's seamless combination of strings, atmospheric guitars, glockenspiel, keyboard and so on creates an entirely foreign sound that, even upon first listen, is inexplicably familiar. Perhaps it's the celestial sound reminiscent of a dream that reminds us of a subconscious world we all have visited. Or perhaps it's vocalist Jon Thor Birgisson's soothing falsetto that, despite being unintelligible to the non-Icelander, could be the most beautiful lullaby you have ever heard. Regardless, there is something divulging about Sigur Rós' music that is brought out by its remoteness.
The band's latest release, Hvarf/Heim, highlights both the familiar and unexplored in a two-disc set. The first disc, Hvarf, loosely translates to "disappeared" and features unreleased songs and rarities redone. The second, Heim, meaning "home," is mostly acoustic live versions of previously released songs. Although both could fit on one disc, the split creates a symbolic divide between the rediscovered old and new takes on the familiar.
Hvarf opens with "Salka," a beautifully simple, previously unreleased track. The next two songs, "Hljómalind" and "Í Gær," were also previously unreleased, but have a much different sound than "Salka." While "Salka" remains benign throughout "Hljómalind" and (especially) "Í Gær," both have a more driving beat and direct sound. In particular, the latter song does not sound like typical Sigur Rós, but is also clearly pre-Takk... and Ágætis Byrjun. That is not to say, however, that the sound is not progressive and intriguing
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