release date: May 28, 2012
format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Sigur Rós, Alex Somers
label: self-released - nationality: Iceland
6th studio album by Sigur Rós following four years after their fine Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is originally released on EMI / Parlophone and produced by Sigur Rós assisted by Alex Somers. Since then the band went on a hiatus during which lead vocalist Jónsi (aka Jón Þór Birgisson) and (his partner) Alex Somers released their collaboration album Riceboy Sleeps in 2009, and the following year, Jónsi released his solo debut Go. Sigur Rós later issued the 2-disc live album Inni (Nov. 2011, from two concerts recorded in 2008). Valtari consists of eight compositions with a total playing time just below 55 minutes in the standard issues - the WEB-version offered through bandcamp.com comes with two bonus tracks and has a total running around 68 minutes.
With this, the band has in a way returned to an initial state of playing ambient music. It's not as direct and uptempo-shaped nor as open as their great 2008 album but appears as more closed and introspective, It's laid-back and almost exclusively ambient with light harmony vocals as a complete U-turn to their so far most uptempo album to date. In a way, it bonds with the debut but more specifically to the third album, aka "the brackets album" ( ) (2002) but on top of that it also feels very much like a soundtrack - with a soundscape so minimalist, as if without a distinct mission except from creating atmosphere and calmness; and perhaps with an attempt to inspire to be your new favourite music for mindfulness, meditation or for your daily yoga exercises. Actually, this is what it is: ambient touching on new age with drops of progressive pop. And although new age has never been a genre I normally fancy all too much, the thing about this band is, they still make such an original artistic effort that you're still blown away regardless your stylistic preferences.
The album is their so far highest ranked in the US, peaking at number #7 on the Billboard 200, and in the UK it reached #8, which is only surpassed by the band's 2008 album (reaching #5). Furthermore, Valtari is the only album by Sigur Rós to top the album chart list in another country - all their studio albums have peaked the charts in Iceland, but with this they also topped the album sales list in Ireland.
Anyhow, the album is not among my absolute favourites from this amazing Icelandic band but I admit, it has grown on me over the years. So if you, like me, rejected this as a minor piece of work, or as a not successful new direction, you may wanna give it another chance - and then perhaps yet another one 'cause for this band it's obviously not a matter of pleasing current requests regarding choice of styles. And thankfully so.
Recommended listen.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, 👍PopMatters, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, 👎Pitchfork 3 / 5 stars ]
