Sigur Ros is the best "rock" band out there performing original music and they are in their prime. From Iceland, their rock has a dynamic and symphonic scope found almost nowhere else. Jonsi Birgisson wields his guitar to luminous effect, not playing solos as we know them, but rather extracting extended drone-like effects with his slow-motion approach, whether using his fingers or a bow. The band sometimes lingers on his single-note sustains for extended periods. And Birgisson's guitar sounds blend with his beautiful falsetto vocals in a mesmerizing, other-worldly fashion. The drumming of Orri Dyrasson veers from soft percussive effects to spare, yet absolutely pulverizing climaxes. Add in various keyboards and, lately, the string section from fellow Icelandic band Amina, and their music enters a wondrous dimension, rock as cathartic chamber music. While a melancholy feel often predominates, their music also conveys a full sense of vivid optimism and enchantment to accompany this sadness. Indeed, this combination of sadness with the spiritually uplifting, although common in classical and symphonic music, is a rare feat in rock composition, but Sigur Ros pull it off with absolute aplomb. All their work is worth checking out, with this reviewer being particularly partial to their first (stateside) release, Agaetis Byrjun (1999), and their last full album, Takk (2005). On these releases, the band yoke heavenly melodies to their penchant for soft, understated beginnings building into glorious, surround-sound (yet uncluttered) finales. As for the lyrics, they are all in Icelandic or, more often, in a made-up language they call "Hopelandic" (a wonderful name). This allows Birgisson to utilize his voice as an instrument whose focus is on the sounds it is creating rather than the literal meanings it may be imparting, emphasizing feeling over content, all to the benefit of the music.

Sigur Ros' latest release is a double-disc set (priced as a single), with one disc being an acoustic live set and the other being a disc of older rarities radically re-worked. Both are stunning. Heim, the live set, perhaps surprisingly, filters out all crowd noises, including applause. This may sound like an odd way to capture a live performance, but those who have seen the band understand it is perfectly appropriate. Many of Sigur Ros' songs contain breaks or extended periods of silence, and when this happens live, you can hear a pin drop in the audience (the same is true during their softer passages). The band weaves a spell such that the audience does not take these opportunities to yell "Freebird" or "Yeah, Woo-Hoo". Rather, they bask in the effect that the silence creates within the songs, a very unusual occurrence at rock concerts. Filtering out the audience sound emphasizes this aspect of their live performances and puts the focus squarely on the music rather than on the audience response. While such an approach would not add much to their catalogue if they simply played the songs the same live as on record, here the songs are realized acoustically, with strings, accordions, harmonium, xylophones, baby grand piano and acoustic guitar to the fore. The results are amazing, with acoustic crescendos every bit as dramatic as their electric cousins. As for the rarities disc, the songs featured are re-recordings of "lost" tracks, and they capture all the high points of the Sigur Ros experience. "I Gaer" may be the highlight, with it's Pink Floyd-esque keyboards leading into a volcanic, guitar-centric prog-rock opus that never lets up. "Von," a track from their rather ambient sounding 1996 debut, is completely recast into a stunning tour-de-force of voice, guitar and steady tom-tom beats. "Hafsol" uses plucked rhythm guitars, a stuttered beat and Birgisson's vocals to lead into a wigged-out tour-de-force of trumpets, strings and layers and layers of guitars, all topped off by a gentle ending emphasizing flute. As a set, Hvarf/Heim is both a great introduction to Sigur Ros' work for those unfamiliar with the band, as well as a wonderful addition to their catalogue for those already entranced. If you care at all about modern rock music, Sigur Ros needs to be on your listening list.