Inní

iTunes Review

It’s unclear whether Inni is Sigur Ros’ farewell statement or just a marker along a still-unfolding journey. In either case, this double-disc package (released with a DVD) sums up much of what has made this Icelandic quartet’s music so uniquely compelling. Sigur Ros has always been an elusive hybrid, with chamber-pop, prog-rock, and New Age elements discernable in its work. Here, the band doesn’t resolve contradictions so much as make the case for itself with dignity and passion. In this concert setting, the songs unfold as grand compositions, riding arcs of shifting tempos and letting textures clash and blend. From the otherworldly howls of “Svefn-G-Englar” through the stately meditative tones of “Luppulagid”, the band surrounds the listener with panoramic soundscapes of strange beauty. In this barer-bones setting, Sigur Ros’ sometimes-obscured pop instincts come through, especially on tracks like “Via Spilum Endalaust”. Whatever the future holds, Sigur Ros has honored its recording legacy with this magisterial live release.