Sigur Ros - Kveikur (2013)

Post-rock legends Sigur Ros have a knack for being one of the most innovative and groundbreaking bands around, but on their seventh album they have pushed themselves even further into uncharted territory and made one of the most creative and unique records in post-rock. While last year's Valtari is undoubtedly a great record, many fans including myself felt that Sigur Ros were playing it a bit too safe in terms of rehashing their established sound. On Kveikur, the band have remedied this problem by experimenting with industrial rock and pop and blending these sounds into their post-rock template. What results is the band at their most upbeat, passionate and playful. This can be seen on tracks such as "Rafstraumur" which has a distinct post-punk vibe, the title track with its thumping drums and aggressive droning (quite possibly the loudest track SR have ever written), and "Hrfantinna" with its eclectic mix of chimes, saxophone and an uplifting chorus. "Yfirbord" is quite a curious track in that it mixes the band's old, melancholic style with subtle electronic beats and is somewhat reminiscent of Radiohead. The gorgeous closer "Var" could have fit well on Valtari; this is something that really rounds out Kveikur nicely and connects it with the band's older material. Sigur Ros should be immensely proud of themselves for not only having the courage to experiment with their trademark sound, but also for simply making one of the best records of their career. I'm really excited to see where they go from here,

 9.5/10