Sigur Rós
Takk...

The beauty of Sigur Rós's music is intangible; their success is inexplicable. Yes, because, in a world of "Big Brothers," showgirls and game show assistants, of Marie De Filippi, Gigi d'Alessi, cheesy pop, pretentious alternatives, fake punksters, and media phenomena, the Sigur Rós truly seem like aliens, indeed they are aliens. Yet their seductive blend of almost classical sounds, dreamy rock, post-punk and shoegazing pop has conquered the charts worldwide, including those in the land of pizza and mafia, reaching as high as 4th place with this delightful 'classic' album titled "Takk..." ("Thank You" in Icelandic). Moreover, they invented a language, hopelandish, which doesn't exist, to give a voice to their wonderful songs, all undoubtedly already considered true "classics".

We could say that the Icelandic band has practically elevated rock to classical music, as if Stravinsky had ventured into psychedelia in his time.
For this reason, they are a revolution; for this reason, the world's top artists (Thom Yorke above all) have elected them as their inspiring favorites; it's just like that and there's no point denying it. And then there's their non-existent look, four blond guys with reddish complexions that seem straight out of a 70s television series like "Emil", filmed amidst the solitary landscapes of Scandinavia. Who could ever think of them as rock stars??
Yet they are, rising above all others, with a music conception so elevated that it transcends themselves. Just listen to them, and you find yourself immersed in a different, surreal world, billions of miles away from the one in which we are forced to spend our short lives. The music of Sigur Rós is infinite; it is a continuum of evanescent, intangible crystalline melody, just like in this new splendid masterpiece of theirs, which secures the art of rock in the great Olympus of classical music.

Wonderful tracks, with some minor concessions to more conventional pop (Hoppìpolla and Gong), yet once again a total emanation of boundless genius and experimentalism. Having a Sigur Rós album in your discography can be a wonderfully psychedelic experience, yet rejuvenating and healthy. A drug for the ears, the mind, the heart. Simply: the best band on the planet!!!