As beautiful as Agaetis Byriun

A beautifully moving album, it soundscape music with heart and emotion. Like () was after Agaetis byrjun another change in direction although still Sigur Ros this albums song certainly have more structure than () but that is no bad thing. Everytime i listen too the CD i have a new favourite and its more upbeat nature makes an excellent listen in the car. Sublime,peacefull, melancholic, crashing, noise, uplifting, enchanting, all words that can sum up this album and there are so many other!!! Album of the year an i doubt anything will beat it.… Expand

Comparing them, this album, to Coldplay is extremely intersting. Not only is everything about Sigur Ros better than Coldplay, Coldplay are copycats of bands like Sigur Ros, Radiohead, Mum, Bjork. With that said. This album is really damn good. Not nearly as good as Agaetis Byrjun, but deffinetly in the best of 05.

near perfection. only if the lyrics were real words would it be better

On amazon a listener claims this is the album that made him finally "get" Sigur Ros. While converting new fans, this may be the album that makes the faithful turn their backs on the band. Every track is a muddle of sameness. Where ethereal vocals were once used sparingly, now they are foregrounded and overused. The gloom, as many critics note, is clearly gone. Well, so is the depth, the challenge, and the chance for the material to be strengthened by repeat listening. Here is a 65 minute album cranked to 11 at every minute. It is shrill, bordering on parodic, and worse of all: BORING.… Expand

They've done better - (), they've done worse - Von. Album is certainly more complex, but overall, just more of the same. Nothing strikes me as memorable. Certainly worth listening to, but I love these guys with or without this album.

It keeps growing on me everytime I'm listening to it! This is one of the most beautiful albums of this year, I would say.

After 6 or 7 listens you already begin to tire a bit of a band that uses the same trick again and again...it seems all their songs are crafted the exact same way. They produce great soundscapes still...but how much longer before this formulae is worn out?

Overrated, critic adored drivle. I like my arty music as much as the next guy, but I heard this next to hearing a Blink 182 record, and I have to say that Blink 182 was far more fun catchy and listenable. Sure it doesn't have the "art" cred but who cares.

A heap of samples, dressed with the most irritating voice in history...

Amazing album!!! As good, if not better, than agaestis.

spellbinding, more varied and uplifting than (). Only gripe is that occasionally the repetitiveness of the vocal (with melodies you're sure you've heard before on this and the other 2 cds) gets in the way of the brilliance of the music

This is easily one of the best albums I've heard in 5 years. The only word I can use to best describe their music is sublime. Never did I think that a bunch of icelanders would be the ones to create what is to me, hands down the album of the year.

I am really enjoying Takk, but that is not to say it is above criticism (I don’t mean to interrupt some of the orgasms these other reviewers are having). For the most part it is an exceptionally strong effort to change direction from ( ) which some considered good but a dead end. In all I am sure fans of Sigur Ros will find it as consistent as their previous efforts. Here is some constructive criticism. In my opinion this album has two flaws. One is synonymous with their other releases: some songs don’t reach their full potential, especially songs towards the end of their albums. Takk becomes indistinct on songs like Milano, Andvari and Haysalon, which just don’t sound developed enough to me. The other minor issue I have with this album is the high vocal range. I am not inferring that they aren’t dynamic or sincere but their all in the high end and sometimes needlessly so. I preferred the vocal ranges on Agaetis Byrjun or ( ). Also I am tired of hallmark presentation Cd packaging design (there are so many bands guilty of this). It is wasteful and the clichéd 1920’s era chappy on the cover embossed into the cardboard does nothing to enhance this music.… Expand

Go -> Buy -> This -> CD Sigur rós touched the sky and called the angels for us,this is the best cd of all times. 10/10

In life, this reviewer has been listening to Sigur Ros for three years now and still loves the new album. Where the previous efforts [as great as they are] prove too dark at times. Whereas 'Takk...' seems more like a reason for living.

Best album of the year!

I listened with tears in my eyes the first time: it is that beautiful. Makes you want to exhale, and never stop.

I cant belive it, they've topped their masterpeice. This album is flawless and gorgeous, flowwing majestically from track to track with an unerving ambition and beauty that's nearly unmatched in the music world today.

The best way I can describe Sigur Ros' music is: remember the last, monumental song on every album you loved as a teenager? You felt like "the Truth is in this song if the world weren't so dumb and would just listen!". Well, a Sigur Ros album is like 70 minutes of straight "last songs". Monumental, eligiac, glorious, spiritual and--yes--over the top. They are incredibly uplifting, draining by the end, but they'll never write a 3-minute no.1 pop single.… Expand

No other band can achieve this level of beauty.

Their best work yet. Wonderful experimental progressive rock album.

Elysium in a tiny crystal bottle.

they came up with music that no chart-topping-seeker-band would dare to play though they're able.grandeur orchestral mixed with beautiful lyrics,sung like a spell,and it's in Icelandic.I always liked bands and musicians whose native language isn't English,they made their works sounded much more mystique.the best cuts in this album would be 'Glosoli','Hoppipolla','Saeglopur',and 'Andvari'.all of their albums would be real classics in musical history.… Expand

beautiful, captivating, unforgettable, emotional, perfect

Absolutely beautiful. I really love this album.

This album rapidly becomes dull. That's all there is to say about it.

The music touches the very fabric of ones being...it exemplifies the meaning of heartfelt lyrics and music. Of all things that ive listened to....this has effected me emensely.

Words cannot describe...

Easily the best album of the year. I did'nt get them until ( ) but their music is uplifting and makes those hairs on the back of your neck stand up..Takk is more listenable than ( ) and went to no1 in Ireland straight away. I love it!

Best thing I've heard all year.

I'm sick and tired of seeing 0-2 votes. Ya'll just hate because you're bitter old virgins. This is there best album because of it magnificant production. Unlike there 1999 record which I compared to MBV's Loveless because it was just OK. Nothing more nothing less

One of the most boring things I have even been force to listen to

Upon first listen my anxious ears awaited to be entertained wildly as they have with the instantly gratifying work done on Agaetis Byrjun. However, it didn't start dazzeling me until I had heard it several times. This is usually the sign of a truely spectacular album. I assure all former 4AD fans and fans of the dark pop generation, this may be the only music you'll need for the next couple of years. This my friends, is nothing less than a musical masterpiece.… Expand

Better than cheese.

It's being peddled as something more melodic and less ambient than their previous works. Is it? Barely.

boring boring boring. nothing new & exciting (exactly as on the previous album). too bad... are they already finished? (hope not)

emotionally devastating

Unspeakably beautiful. I get chills just thinking about listening to some of the tracks on this album.

goooooood stuff

Wow. Just finished 1st complete listen, and not on headphones mind you (which would move thr rating to 11, I am guessing). Mind-numbing, uplifting goo. Just what i needed!

Viaje espacial

I could write down some overanalysised review over here. But to put it simple; this album is just GORGEOUS. Sigur Rós báck to form! Just put on your headphones, enjoy the warm melodies and softening mood as well as some MIGHTY FINE ROCKING moments.

I aggree with the LA times...

their best yet. cut the fat just a tad and left us with an hour to bask in for years. awesome.

Not quite as good as Ágætis Byrjun (my personal favourite album of all time) but more interesting than ( ) and overall an excellent fourth album from Sigur Rós.

An amazingly bright album that makes listening to songs off previous releases (Ny Batteri, Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa, Untitled 8/Popplagid) seem like a journey to midnight. Highlights include the joyful Hoppipolla, the more subtle but no less beautiful Andvari, and the wonderful couple of singles that have already been released - Glosoli and Saeglopur.

greatest album of the year sigur ros are second only to sigur ros saeglopur and gong the best sings of the century

As great as "Takk..." is, the truth of the matter seems that upon releasing "()", Sigur Ros truly had said everything they are capable of saying. This album is particularly fantastic for its sense of optimism and hope, but it is undeniably a tad bit redundant. Nevertheless, it is still an easy album to enjoy. Brilliant, even.

Simply the best music in the last years. Open your heart to Sigur Ròs. Open your eyes to Iceland.

Not quite as good as Agaetas Byrjun but still gorgeous. I don't really understand some critics commenting that Sigur Ros went more mainstream with this album. It's just as other-wordly (and inaccessible to the general public) as Agaetus Byrjun was. Not what I would consider to be classic, or even top ten of the year, just because it's too abstract, but it's still beautiful and worth listening to.… Expand

wow. this album has a sound- bells, incredibly intertwined harmonies, and noise. its not nearly as dark and broody as (.). the production may bother some people (distorted drums, etc) but its obviously done on purpose by the band, and it adds to the potency of this musical journey. thank you for your interest.

IF you like ENYA, guys who compose music with synths and dudes who think its clever to sing like they have an overload of estrogen, but without the energy-you’ll love this stuff. Perfect music for you magic crystals, your Dungeons and Dragons gaming, your deep-tissue massage. In other words, it’s not really music or songs at all. Its just soundscapes composed on a synth that you or I could make had we a couple of Roland synths. Pretentious, artsy-fartsy and utterly lifeless. Good stuff for those of you who like to think you’re just a little bit more sophisticated than your average music listener. DOA.… Expand

Sigur Ros have done some amazing things in my opinion, but this album simply is not one of them. They aren't original anymore. What was new and innovative in aegetis byurtin and ( ) has been lost to coldplay-type crescendos and pop/rock harmonies and melodies. the only thing that makes it different is jonsi's voice. i guess that does it for some people, but it's not doing it for me.… Expand

Best CD of 2005

This has been most lovely to listen to, I couldn't have asked for more from Sigur Ros for their new cd. I also saw them 4 days ago live, if you ever get the chance, GO! see them live, it still makes me want to listen to them for the rest of my life. Thank you Sigur Ros!

Von's work at the boby shop keeps him from fully morphing his latent talent, buying a Roland synth and making a few million dollars. This is the music that sounds so easy to make and isn't. Likme those idiots who see a Rothko and exclaim they could do it. Beauty in simplicity is a natural and supernatural reality. That Takk touches the soul makes it dangerous stuff.

I'm basically commenting here because of the idiotic comments polluting this thread by Von B. This critique is the equivalent of someone criticizing Kanye West's new album because they don't like hip hop culture. Criticizing a band because one doesn’t like the category of music from which they play is vacuous. In addition, the "synth" that his owl-like senses detected is actually the lead singer playing his guitar with a bow, Jimmy Page style. I saw them live, and as far as I could tell all of their instruments were live (most bands now use some programming and effects), including a chamber ensemble, although comments like ‘they don’t play their own instruments' are mundane in the age of electronic music. Ironically, Sigur Ros borrows from traditional classical music more than most contemporary rock bands. Takk isn’t quite as groundbreaking as Ágætis Byrjun, but if Sigur Ros’ intention was to musically capture Icelandic landscapes, they have yet again outdone themselves.… Expand

Sigur Ros puts out another pretty ambience albums. No complaints. Its just nice. And to those of you who read Von's review: Bias like that belongs on Fox News. :)

I was a bit disappointed with this album. I bought it after hearing the brilliant Hoppipolla, and I hadn't heard any of Sigur Ros's other stuff. But the majority of the songs seemed a bit dull and samey. That said, tracks 1,2,3,4 and 6 are brilliant.

Great.

A brilliant record with an even better live show. I just saw Sigur Ros perform in Michigan yesterday and I can safely say it was phenomenal. The energy was propelled by the band and the audience but that wasn't all their was brilliant video footage with great animations. This album is a great one and in my opinion is their second best. The melodies are driven by the extraordinary piano, wave like guitar ( which if you did not know he plays with a violin bow ) and the heart pounding bass. The other instruments including the lead singers voice which mixes in amazingly well with the ambient music. The other instruments including the drums are needed so you can understand the complexity of the music. If you went to a Sigur Ros live show you would see Amina the opening act which I suggest you buy the Ep for is playing instruments as well as the band. During the concert the all girl group Amina was playing strings. Takk.. is a successful and astonishing effort that you will not want to miss.… Expand

I saw the band 2 nights ago in Milwaukee, and the show was spiritually and sonically amazing and cathartic...loved it so much that i planned on driving to detroit the next day to see them again--got lost and consequently missed it, bu i would say that this is one of the most important bands out there right now...

just more of the same from Sigur Ros, but I just wasn't feeling this album as much for some reason.

Great stuff, I make love with this cd album.

An amazing album, full of life and grace...truly breath taking music.

Sigur Rós is simply the best.

Brilliant album. And live amazing!!!

Excellent. I didn't know music like this was still made. It's very epic and very "concept"-ish; it makes me think this is what Pink Floyd or Queen might have done were they at the hight of their powers now instead of 30 years ago. To the guy who compared this to Blink 182: What are you on? And can I have some?

Takk... is Sigur Rós's rock album, or at least as close as they will ever get to creating one. Much in the same way that Rock Action solidified Mogwai's remarkable ambition and vast potential into cohesiveness, Takk... is the album that finds Sigur Rós deciding on a happy medium. By taking the best elements from their previous offerings- the gentle beauty of Von, the songwriting of Ágaetis Byrjun and the atmospherics from ( )- Sigur Rós infuse Takk... with an immediacy that is unlike anything else in their catalogue. For Sigur Rós, Takk... is the sound of settling, and the comfort that comes with it. For this listener, Takk... is the sound of catharsis. Brilliant.… Expand

I'm sorry, but am I listening to the same album? Am I missing something? I'm a broad-minded listener, and I try to invest some listening effort into most critically acclaimed albums - but for the life of me, I just can't make this one work. Some of it makes for decent background music - but the vocals are absolutely horrible. I'm not sure how anyone can hear that whiny falsetto and enjoy it, let alone, connect to it. The vocals lend an overly artsy (sophomoric at best) portent to overly long songs full of bombast and severely lacking true content. It's not that I hate Takk, it's just that it's nothing special, and it receives (mostly) glowing reviews because of the band's laurels. As atmosphere or soundtrack music, this stuff might work (please, leave out the baby-voice falsetto moaning). Very disappointing.… Expand

Phenominal album - their best yet. Makes me want to hug the nearest person when I listen to it. Awe inspiring.

BREATHTAKING!!

its amazing....the most beatiful music i've ever heard

"It's like the boys have suddenly hit on the exact musical formula to make you feel slightly placid (For those interested, it's this: glacial synth warble + major chord arpeggio played on xylophone + shimmering but exactly the same guitar line + enough sugary and synthetic sounds on top to induce hyper glycaemia = a drowsy yet unsatisfied feeling.)" Exactly how I feel.

Deamy sleepytime tea from Iceland. Made up words are go!

Amazing, I love this album

I really, really want to visit Iceland now. It's rare when a musician can condense an entire country's flavor into one song. Copland did it in "Appalachian Spring" for the American West. Saint Etienne did it in "Side Streets" for London. And Sigur Ros did it here in "Glósóli" for the beautiful Nordic glaciers.

This is one of the best albums of the year and I am sick of it not getting the credit it deserves.

This album is in my opinion one of the of the top 3 of the year (so far).

When I bought the album, I could not believe that the same two songs that started the jaw-dropping concert I saw in Atlanta last week ("Takk..." and "Glosoli") were also the first two tracks! Because of this, I can relive the amazing opening of that show any time I want, and I will cherish that forever. However, the album is not perfect. There are a few too many similar melodies scattered throughout, and the production simply can't compare to the live versions, but it is much much better than the somnambulant "( )". Jonsi's vocals are the most beautiful they've ever been, and it is thrilling to hear the band try a new sound on tracks like "Hoppipolla" and "Gong". The album is perfectly sequenced, seamlessly blending songs to create what sounds like an hour-long suite of some of the most beautiful and transcendant music you've ever heard. I am incredibly grateful that bands like Sigur Ros are making music that sounds like nothing else on Earth.… Expand

One of the best albums I've ever heard

Really amazing what Sigur Ros is doing. Best album of the year and maybe the best album ever. Go check their concerts and you will be astonished. To good for words!!!

Sigur Ros is an incredibly talented, creative band. With all of their albums, I've found that they carry at least two or three masterpieces, along with a few good songs. Takk is no different; "Glosoli", "Gong", "Hoppipolla" and "Andvari" are are just brilliant, emotional pieces. Like most "post-rock" bands, Sigur Ros can take a little bit to get into, but believe me, it's worth being patient. Highly recommended to any open-minded listener.… Expand

extraordinary songs, perfect production, wonderful cover art

God smashing a snow shaker.

Takk was the first I had ever heard from Sigur Ros. Anyone who has even the slightest negative comment about this album knows pathetically nothing of music or the spirit that creates it. As I listened for the first time, not knowing what to expect, Takk immediately shut my eye sight down and made me see with my mind as though I saw with my eyes. My imagination was on fire, being twisted and turned and splayed in a thousand directions. It were as though someone were reciting to me the most mezmerizing and impossible story I had ever heard. My heart pounded, I was short of breath, my eyes watered, and the first interruption from an outside source jolted me with an irritating, distracting disruption, as though I were captivated by an angel speaking with me while someone else was trying to butt in to tell me some wart toad in a scummy pond had died. I felt terror in my bones and bowels, but it was the terror one might feel if he suddenly lifted from the ground into the sky and flew over mountains and forests and seas and did not know when he would land, or even if he could. The vocal language of the songs is utterly unknown to me (is it Icelandic... ?), which gave the whole listening experience a sense of otherwordly adventure and mystery. I don't care how this album compares to any previous album, or even if this ablum did not break any new ground (as pompous unimaginative critics have spouted); this album is a mindboggling masterpiece of unparalleled magnificence, and any opinion to the contrary is not to be entertained or even respected as anything more than the judgment of a deaf mongrel.… Expand

Sigur Ros, in my opinion, is the most brilliant band in the music industry today. Nobody even comes close to their unique style and they outdid themselves again with Takk. () seemed liked their destined masterpiece and it was until Takk came along. This is their "mainstream" record although that word doesn't flow with Sigur Ros. You won't find a better record in 2005 than Takk.

an amazing cd, it sounds unique, the voice is at every moment part of each song, something that they havent realized in some of their previous albums.

It's all about taste isn't it? I mean, you could have the most perfect work of art (music, cinema, painting, etc.) and there will always be those who hate it. So there's no accounting for taste. But there are connoisseurs of things, those who over time have a feeling in their being for something they are passionate about. Sigur Ros is like the finest wine that one who is knowledgeable about such things could hope to taste. And the people who drink Malt Duck and f*cking box wine and listen to Blink 182 will always call them pompous. There's no accounting for taste.… Expand

sigur ros is absolutely brilliant in the production of this album, as all their other albums. they know how to take existentialism and turn it into a sound, simply breath taking music. and jonsi (lead singer) has certainly commanded my respect through his bone chilling falsettos

The sound of the noughties can be summed up in three albums: Is This It, Funeral and this album. Forget that the lyrics are gibberish, forget it's overuse by the BBC and most other soundtrach compilers at the time, as a piece of music this album is truly incredible. At once it is ethereal, haunting yet uplifting and beautiful. Undoubtedly their best album. Timeless.

This is definitely one of the albums of the 00's and Sigur Ros' best work in my opinion. This is classical music for a modern time and some of the melodies these lads come up with are incredible. When you think everything that could be done in music has been done, this record shows you can still find new ways to do things. The whole album has a dream like atmosphere to it. Phenomenal.