Commentary

Editor’s Note: I sent Emma the latest release by Sigur Rós , a band she had never heard before. How would a 12-year-old react to the mysterious music of one of my favorite bands? Read on!

Childhood is untouchable. Filled with laughter, sadness, and those few precious moments where the sun hits the top of the trees perfectly in a way that no camera can capture. Nights at the beach where the warm sand beneath your toes seems almost unreal. Dark nights huddled under blankets, muffled giggles, birthday cakes. There is yet to be a man that can find the words to describe it. So Jón Þór (Jónsi) Birgisson, Kjartan, Sveinsson, Orri Páll Dýrason, and Georg Holm of Sigur Rós decided to create their own words to describe it.Born and raised in Iceland, these seven people formed a band called Sigur Rós in 1994. Their songs are all unique in their own nature considering that the songs are sung in their own composed language called ‘Hopelandic.’ Like childhood, this band is also untouchable. With impossible lyrics and difficult sounds it can only be admired from a far (and I must tell you would be very hard to sing in the shower). For each word is sung with such belief that if you were to sing it yourself the result would either be a twisted tongue or utter humiliation.

This made-up language gives you a chance to concentrate on the voices instead of focusing on the words. You are given a chance to not only appreciate the raw, honest voices, but also to define the songs themselves. Because the songs are wordless you have the ability to make up your own meaning. Whether you take that chance, however, is completely your choice.

While most new and unique bands require an acquired taste, sort of like sushi and caviar, Sigur Rós has a sound that anyone can relate to. Both sushi lovers and raw fish haters will enjoy this interesting new band because of its undecided messages and uniqueness.

Living in this fragile state of half kid, half adult I can still hear the sounds of childhood, but not as well as I used to. Sung by a breathless siren, every note never-ending and beautiful. I know that soon the sounds will become but a whisper and then completely vanish.

Sigur Rós slows down this process and helps me revisit the times where I could hear life loud and clear, its answers sad and sweet. For just the five or so minutes it takes me to listen to each song I feel more like a kid than ever before. Speechless and blissful I stare at life and I realize that in the mess of gibberish I can hear Life’s song even louder than before.

Comments (10)