• Record Label: XL
  • Release Date: Nov 6, 2007
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 25
  2. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Together, the EPs form a beautiful post-rock symphony, topped by singer and guitarist Jonsi Birgisson's simultaneously naive and profound singing.
  2. Heim is very nice and also very spare. Less ebulliently cheating with surprise and indulgence is Hvarf, worth the band’s typical awe just for the official addition of live staple 'Hafsól' to the band’s buyable repertoire.
  3. If Hvarf is a mixed bag of treats and curios, then Heim represents something rather more thrilling: the future (perhaps).
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    The Sigur Ros formula works. [30 Nov 2007, p.133]
  5. Sigur Ros’ songs have a tendency to go on way too long, but the group’s peaks are such that we must cherish them, flaws and all.
  6. They have blended the sensitivity of classical and the sensibility of rock into something far greater than post-rock.
  7. Mojo
    80
    Whatever is behind Sigur Ros's ineffable Nordic magic, it doesn't appear to be powered by electricity. [Dec 2007, p.98]
  8. It may not be music for the ringtone generation, but for anyone who appreciates the understated power and drama that Sigur Rós can do so well, this is an essential purchase
  9. Their sound, which paved the way for the likes of Bloc Party, is still pretty timeless.
  10. Whether live or unplugged, though, the effect is much the same: disbelief that one band can convey this much emotion when, for all the unearthly beauty of the music, the lyrics amount to little more than gibberish.
  11. [[Hafsol' is] ten minutes of bliss that should keep the faithful satisfied until the group reconvenes and produces something new, resuming the road to parts unknown instead of dusting off the path that leads back to where they came from.
  12. Rarely are stopgaps so magisterial, tender, and wistful. But, again, I hope that’s the point.
  13. Spin
    70
    Both halves are gripping, but Heim's unplugged conceit--which spotlights vocalist Jonsi Birgisson's high, ghostly howls--showcases the band's eerie pull. [Dec 2007, p.125]
  14. There's enough brewing under the sedated surface to make Hvarf-Heim (and especially Hvarf) a satisfying listen.
  15. Von (the title track and 'Hafsól') absolutely crush the originals in scope, especially the latter, which stretches to nearly 10 glorious minutes. But the second disc, Heim, is even better.
  16. The Wire
    70
    Effective, perhaps, as background music for adverts or TV vignettes... The second CD, Heim, is better. [Dec 2007, p.65]
  17. Under The Radar
    80
    Heim is gorgeous. [Fall 2007, p.76]

There are no user reviews yet.