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I consider myself a fairly rabid fan of Sigur Ros. Granted, I don’t know their birthdays or middle names, but in terms of musical adoration, Sigur Ros is one of my greatest loves. When I lived in New York from 1997-2007 I attended every show; I own all of the band’s recorded and filmed material, some in multiple formats; I possess, not one, but two Sigur Ros canvas tote bags; and I even honeymooned in Iceland, an idea inspired by the beautiful and mysterious music from the country’s second most famous export.

Their music seems to be “of the land.” A perfect soundtrack for trekking through the remote glacial interior and lush coastlines, strolling through tiny fishing villages, buzzing around the vibrant main streets of Reykjavík, watching whales frolic in the black water of the North Atlantic and puffins perched on cliffs above rocky beaches.

Imagine my anticipation yesterday when Sigur Ros released the first single and video from their forthcoming album, “með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust” (English translation: “With a buzz in our ear we play endlessly”). Honestly, I’ve been more than a little nervous when I discovered the new album would be their first not recorded entirely in Iceland (they also laid down tracks in Havana, Cuba, London, and New York). Would they lose that sense of place so strongly tied to their music? I was also more than a little fearful when I learned the album was produced by Flood, known for his work with Smashing Pumpkins, Erasure, Depeche Mode, U2, PJ Harvey and Nine Inch Nails. Would they lose the mystery that envelops their music?

On the morning of 5/27, I sat down, booted my computer, turned up the volume, and hit the link to play the video for “Gobbledigook,” the album’s first single. My heart pounded with excitement the moment the words “Sigur Ros” and “Gobbledigook” (handwritten as usual by lead singer Jonsi) faded onto the screen over a backdrop of a serene green ocean. And then the song kicked in. Primal drums, acoustic guitars (!), and layered vocals blew through my speakers as flashing images set to brilliantly edited jump cuts showed a group of naked young men and women celebrating in nature: frolicking through the woods, dancing around a campfire, running on the beach, rolling in dried leaves, and splashing in the ocean and stream. It’s a primitive and powerful celebration of life set to a stunning, joyous and furious collage of sound. If anybody felt that Sigur Ros was resting on its laurels, confined to a trademark style, banish the thought. “Gobbledigook” find the lads from Iceland expanding their palette in a natural progression from bowed guitars, falsetto vocals, and swelling strings to raw, organic, polyrhythmic bacchanalia.

Lots to look forward to when “með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust” is released on 6/23 worldwide and 6/24 in the US, including an English language song and a collaboration with the London Sinfonietta and London Oratory Boy’s Choir.

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