Sigur Rós - Odin's Raven Magic (Album Review)
Thursday, 10 December 2020
Photo: Eva Vermandel
Behold, ye mortals! The end is nigh! But not because of a no-deal Brexit. This is ‘Odin’s Raven Magic’, the latest record from Icelandic post-rock masters, Sigur Rós. It’s an opera based on Norse mythology and ancient Edda poetry, and if you ever tried to envisage what the previous 26 words would actually sound like, fear not. You’re spot on.
It’s epic, sweeping and often very hammy. Hammy as in, ‘Hello, could I have some extra ham with my portion of just ham?’ Yes, yes you can. It’s also occasionally stunning. The recording, taken from a 2004 performance at Paris’s Grande Halle de la Villette, is a stirring odyssey over eight parts that includes a backing orchestra, stone marimba and full choir. Very occasionally, Jónsi’s devastating and unique falsetto cuts through, but the majority of the singing is handled elsewhere.