Sigur Rós — Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

8/10

And here is the end of the mythos. The once mystically mysterious and alien Sigur Rós trade their bizarre coterie of ethereal sounds for acoustic guitars and hand drums. 2008's Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, which I will never have a hope in hell of pronouncing, announces the band in a package millennials could more easily accept, as the front runners of that particular generation seemed to be going nuts over folk music at the time. Both of my millennial siblings got married the next year, my sister going with "Festival," as her walkout song. I subtly tried to talk her out of it, as the song is over nine-minutes long, with a climax that not only comes very, very late into the song, but does little to distinguish itself from the previous minutes. She divorced that guy, anyway, and chose a much better Sigur Rós song for her second wedding, not to mention a much better guy. My brother and his wife chose "Ára bátur," which is also a bit too long, but features a far more powerful climax that aptly fit their wooded, hilltop ceremony. I can't really insult the choice, as I rather forcefully, and in embarrassing retrospect, quite rudely requested that they not walk out to the same song my wife and I did, which came from a Sigur Rós album two behind this one (man, we must have a genetic predisposition for Sigur Rós-backed wedding walking). My wife is also a millennial, making my (current, and hopefully forever) brother-in-law and I the only two Gen X'ers of the six of us--I only ramble, a. because I like the sound of my own voice, b. because I like to talk about my past, and c. because the feeling of Sigur Rós music changes in such a generationally drastic way for this album. How about I just make this one giant paragraph? Yes, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust really does feel like it's for another audience entirely different from the one it previously held captive, the foot-stomping head rush of "Gobbledigook" visually accompanied by a video featuring a bunch of naked young millennials frolicking around in the woods together like pagans (to the NSFW-degree that I won't even post it here, which is saying a lot considering the quality of my writing is not safe for anywhere)--coincidentally, this video reminds me of the very millennial-minded Where the Wild Things Are adaptation Spike Jonze did the following year. I hated that movie, as it, and much of the popular music that year really reminded me that millennials were now driving popular culture, and Gen X'ers were just a bunch of grouchy, has-been office-workers. With the knowledge that many millennials will likely read this, I want to make clear that I am not insulting you, but merely saying that I was resentful during the time period surrounding this album because I felt left behind. Coming at the end of one generation, and just before the beginning of another feels weird, and I don't recommend it. All that to say, I can put away my bias, and admit that Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is a solid album. The band's talent shines through with continued excellent songwriting, going back-and-forth between more hyperactive songs, and more gentle, water-flowing through the universe ones that totally obliterate me saying their music is no longer ethereal in the second sentence. The only thing that derails this album from greatness is the fact that the band leave not only the rhythm section behind for the final four songs (which account for more than a third of the tracks), but also the joy that permeated the first 2/3 of the album. These last four are just fine as songs go, but totally shift the current of this album from emotionally varied, to glum and morose. It's like one of those damned naked millennials from the "Gobbledigook" video suddenly fell out of the tree they were swinging from and died, and now the other damned naked millennials are singing a lamentation.
And here, I believe I have made my point.


2008 XL Recordings
1. Gobbledigook 3:08
2. Inní mér syngur vitleysingur 4:05
3. Góðan daginn 5:15
4. Við spilum endalaust 3:33
5. Festival 9:24
6. Með suð í eyrum 4:56
7. Ára bátur 8:57
8. Íllgresi 4:13
9. Fljótavík 3:49
10. Straumnes 2:01
11. All Alright 6:21