Death Cab for Cutie isn’t the only band who threw fans off with an unusual single this year. Go ahead and add Sigur Ros to that list. When they released “Gobbledigook,” the single from Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust, everyone was quick to point out how much it sounds like Animal Collective. And in a way, it does sound like Animal Collective: a more controlled, restrained Animal Collective. It’s upbeat and perky, two words which could almost never be used to describe anything the band did in the past. So was this it? Had they really changed their sound so drastically? The answer, unsurprisingly, is “sort of.”
Sigur Ros,”Gobbledigook” (download)
The first half of Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust runs contrary to most of Sigur Ros’ back catalog. It’s perky, full and busy where they’re usually slow, sparse and delicate. The cover art from photographer Ryan McGinley fits this part of the album. Naked people running through the country on a sunny day? Sure, “Gobbledigook,” “Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur” and “Vid Spilum Endalaust” could certainly be the soundtrack to such light spirited activities. But make no mistake – Sigur Ros are still the same Sigur Ros that everyone is accustomed to. They return to their light, languid melodies for the rest of the album. (more…)
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