by Dan Gayle
Staff Writer

We know the rules. About midway through a successful music career, a band is obligated to release one of the following things: a) an unplugged/ live album b) a rarities/b-sides compilation or c) the epic progrock double album.

Sigur Rós is no exception to that rule.

Simultaneously old and new, their new double-CD “Hvarf- Heim” manages to accomplish all of the above with a measure of dignity and relevancy, despite the fact that most albums of this nature tend to feel forced.

The set is technically a dual Extended Play (EP) release, but includes a total of 1.2 hours of music. One-half is comprised of acoustic renditions of some of Sigur Rós’ old familiars and the other half of electric reassessments of songs that were unreleased staples of their live shows.

Truly a testament to the breadth of feeling within their peculiar musical genre, the two discs represent different sides of the same band, a musical Yin and Yang.

HEIM
The first disc, “Heim” (“home” in Icelandic), is Sigur Rós’ mellow, live disc, reincorporating songs from each of their major releases as slow, crooning acoustic tunes. In spite of their frigid Icelandic surroundings, their renditions are warm, cuddly and “relax by the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa”-type songs.

Gone are the “Hammer of the Gods”-style drumming of Orri Dýrason and the distorted, reverberated electric guitar drone of Jónsi Birgisson. What remains are Jónsi’s ever-present falsetto, the lush string accompaniment of the band Amiina and a strange calmness that transcends the typically melancholy sadness of Sigur Rós’ oeuvre.

It’s a fitting complement to the band’s musicianship that they can make an entire side’s worth of electric material sound fresh and unforced in an unplugged setting.

HVARF
”Hvarf” (“haven” in Icelandic) could be said to be the anti-thesis of “Heim,” being the electric Yin statement to the former’s acoustic Yang.

Instead of the delicate feel of “Heim”, “Hvarf” showcases the heavier mainstays of the band’s epic live shows that have until now remained unrecorded. One song in particular, “Í Gær,” is among the heaviest of songs in their discography, with the intro to the drums being the one of the hardest hit snare drums that I’ve ever heard. (And I’m a drummer.)

Having seen them play the song for a live audience as part of their encore at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, I can attest to the fact that the song “Hafsól” is humongous. It’s a slow crescendo into an almost 1960’s-style psychedelic rave-up at the end, with drum heads, drum sticks and guitar strings breaking under the fierceness of their attack.

The electric guitars are droning, the drums are heavier than ever, and the epic grandeur of the giant post-rock crescendo is back, making “Hvarf” the album that I personally wished they had released two years ago instead of their last release in 2005, “Takk.”

Conclusion
While not the most groundbreaking of accomplishments, ”Hvarf-Heim” certainly solidifies what the Sigur Rós sound is about. Simultaneously delicate and heavy, beautiful and fierce, the double record encapsulates a band at the peak of their powers.

It is an essential set to pick up for anyone interested in hearing the band for the first time, or for those long-time fans who’ve been waiting in eager anticipation for the next Sigur Rós masterpiece.

If you liked ‘Hvarf-Heim’ by Sigur Rós, you might like...

Amiina
myspace.com/amiina
If you’ve listened to Sigur Rós, you HAVE listened to Amiina, since the quartet plays all of the strings on Sigur Rós’ last three albums and also perform with them live. Apart from their connection with Sigur Rós, Amiina have a sound all of their own, combing more varieties of stringed instruments than I can think of with MacBook loops and gentle, feminine vocals.

Múm
myspace.com/mumtheband
What is it about Iceland that creates bands that refuse to be pigeonholed by rock critics’ clichéd genres? I saw them play at Neumos on Oct. 27, and they were magnificent. I have no idea what their particular genre is, but it’s fair to say that it was fun. There were about 40 different instruments used, and their 2.5 lead singers are amazing.

Faunts
myspace.com/faunts
How about a band that is NOT from Iceland? This Canadian band is an astonishing combination of the best parts of Sigur Rós and Radiohead—I’m not kidding. Why these guys aren’t at the top of the charts is beyond me. This is an AWESOME band.

Joy Wants Eternity
myspace.com/joywantseternity
Hey you guys! How about a local band? Hailing from Seattle, Joy Wants Eternity is an instrumental band ALA Godspeed You! Black Emperor or Mogwai. According to their blog, they have no shows planned until at least January, but feel free to purchase their EP “Must You Smash Your Ears Before You Learn To Listen With Your Eyes” or the LP “You Who Pretend to Sleep.” You won’t regret it.