Sigur Rós
Hvarf/Heim

THE REVIEW

My trusted dealer (I mean, of records) always manages to pleasantly surprise me. Indeed, it's not the first time he has a record for sale ahead of its official release date (it also happened with Hypnotize by System Of A Down, and I almost got emotional...).
In short, this time too I got lucky. 3 days before the "release date" (scheduled for November 5/6 in America) I got Hvarf/Heim, the latest "work" by Sigur Ròs.

The package is interesting: open one side and you find Hvarf then flip!, you turn it and find Heim. I may seem crazy to you, but I twirled it between my fingers several times (imagine the scene!).

Apart from this, let's get into a bit of detail. I previously wrote the word work in quotes. In fact, my dear folks, you can't say this is a real effort, or rather it is but it's late. Indeed, on the two discs we find spread: a) unreleased tracks from different dates; b) an acoustic live recording of famous tracks from previous albums. Therefore, to put it plainly, a collage of old stuff! Yes.

So what?

I mean: are you Sigur Ròs fans or not? There are two possibilities:

1. No, I'm not a fan of Sigur Ròs, I just find them whiny losers who think they've changed music, but instead they do nothing but strum two notes and play the guitar with a bow (and what a novelty, remember Jimmy Page??). Clowns, as boring as those damn Gosspid You Nonsocheccapsio. And go to hell!
2. Yes, I'm a fan of Sigur Ròs, I am AWARE that if by chance they haven't changed music, at the very least they've reinvented it; I've been waiting for the new album for a long time, and the opportunity for unreleased tracks and the acoustic live is way more than tempting. I've already pulled out my 20 euros and I'm buying this record, I've wanted it all my life. Now I'm going to listen to it, SILENCE, please. (PS: Godspeed You Black Emperor changed my life, and I'm eagerly awaiting their return, damn if I'm suffering!).

Aside from everything, a beautiful record (despite the cuts, if only Takk... had been the same). Certainly not wasted money: if you see it in the window, don't even think about it, dive right in, take it, steal it if you must. Go for it (come on, you're used to my jokes by now, pretend nothing happened and send me a virtual "pat pat" on the shoulder, or wherever you prefer).

Now suppose: you don't like Hvarf? Flip! Do as I do, other side, other gift, Heim, a fantastic live. And obviously vice versa. Of course, if you don't like the group, we're talking about nothing here, and you may as well not read this review, as I'm not a particularly talented reviewer (but since you've come this far, just finish it).

And then let's suppose another case, that you find the band's normal records too long: now you have two different works, and also quite short (less than 40 minutes each); if you fall into category 2 above, no problem, add the minutes and in total your 20 euros are worth about seventy minutes, as usual. Fantastic, right?

Finally, I've learned one thing: you really have to be careful when awarding the title of "best record of the year", if less than a month after "Raising Sand" this gem comes out. Damn, and I thought good music no longer existed!

Score 4.5 (four stars only because otherwise it seems like I give 5 to everything, and maybe because at the end of the day I increasingly like the good old "parenthesized" album, perhaps because I have a special love for the figure of brackets themselves, which as you see I use very often. I like them too much (so much that sometimes I overdo it and put in two sets (or even three)) It's a disease). That's it, I'm done.