The latest release from Sigur Rós is a bare bones, getting to know us"" piece. The shy band least expected to go unplugged reappears after two years with a double-disc compilation of unreleased live rarities and fully acoustic tracks. _Hvarf/Heim_ is the companion album to Sigur Rós' new documentary ""Heima,"" which was filmed during their 2006-'07 tour of their home country, Iceland, and shown at this year's Madison Popfest. _Hvarf/Heim_ is not exactly a soundtrack, but an unveiled, down-to-earth approach to their renowned transcendental sound. The enigmatic band invites us _Heim_ - meaning ""home"" - to reveal subtlety and humanity of their best-loved songs.
For those who hoped for something new and different, _Hvarf/Heim_ may disappoint. The first disc, _Hvarf_ - meaning ""disappeared"" or ""haven"" - takes a look back to lost tracks from previous albums _( )_, Agætis Byrjun and particularly their 1997 debut _Von. Reworked and expanded, live show favorites and early songs are transformed into anthems. Particularly impressive is ""Hafsól""; the last track taken from _Von is a 10-minute orchestral masterpiece rich in volume and drama, drifting toward cacophony in the last two minutes.
As always, Sigur Rós proves musical virtuosity in a modern sense by combining powerful strings with electric sounds and hope-filled themes. The EP starts with a track dismissed from _( )_, ""Salka"", named after bassist Georg Holm's daughter, followed by crowd-favorite ""Hljómalind"", ""the rock song,"" and the third track ""à _ gr,"" which is a post-Agætis Byrjun gem from their prog-rock phase. The last two songs are taken from debut album, _Von.
Hvarf_ brings together aspects from different stages of Sigur Rós' career and re-introduces them as compositions instead of existential statements. Though the innocent, schoolboy vocals and life-affirming imaginary languages are still there, Sigur Rós sheds much of their mystery, now appearing as incredible musicians, not baffling aliens.
Disc two, _Heim_, is even better. Recorded live during their tour, the lack of electricity forced Sigur Rós to go entirely acoustic. Without the dissonance, _Heim_ has a very natural feel. The string quartet and piano materialize familiar ethereal melodies such as ""Samskeyti"" - also ""Untitled 3"" off ( ) - and ""Starà ¡lfur"" - the familiar song from ""The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,"" but this version makes it harder to imagine a large yellow submarine and animated sea creatures. The third track, ""Voka,"" was recorded during a protest of a dam that was about to cause a river overflow into several kilometers of Icelandic wilderness, inspiring the unplugged idea.
The songs taken from _( )_ are performed in Jónsi Birgisson's (vocals, guitar) made-up language, ""hoplandic,"" an amazing element of Sigur Rós, and _Heim_ conjures domestic lyrics akin to ""I Sat by the Fire."" The fourth song, Agætis Byrjun,"" has an almost Norah Jones-jazz room sound with light percussion and a poppy melody. Shying away from experimentation, this track leaves your head bobbing. ""Heysà ¡tan"" gives a feel of Icelandic country by starting off with the sounds of birds chirping, and conclusively, ""Von"" closes up the album as a contrast to the electric version on _Hvarf_. _Heim_ allows for Sigur Rós' classical prowess to shine, leaving listeners with an intimate understanding of their super-human talent.
Hvarf/Heim_ is a rewarding rehash of memories for those who are already fans of Sigur Rós; however, it's quintessentially mystical and cathartic enough to introduce a new listener to the sound.
