Sigur Rós
Von
Release Date: Oct 26, 2004
Genre(s): Indie, Rock
Record label: One Little Indian
Music Critic Score
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Album Review: Von by Sigur Rós
Very Good, Based on 2 Critics
Based on rating 7/10
The heaps of praise during 2000 surrounding 1999's Ágætis Byrjun brought surprisingly little attention to Sigur Rós' first record, released in 1997. Remaining available only through the band's Icelandic label, it took some effort to obtain, but those who did get a copy probably found it to be just as adventurous as Agætis. Though darker and more fractured than the string-laden nooks of the follow-up, it's just as sprawling and outright bombastic.
Opinion: Fairly Good
When Sigur Rós’ debut album was released in Iceland, it failed to cause much of a critical flutter in the other 190 (give or take) countries in the world, but, the worldwide release of the band’s follow-up, Ágætis Byrjun was accompanied by enough hype to more than make up for the relative quiet that surrounded Von. Even after the eruption in popularity, Sigur Rós seemed content to allow Von to remain an Icelandic-only release, fodder for file-sharers and completists. Quiet on the recording front since 2003’s ( ), Sigur Rós continue to work on a fourth album, and while a collaboration with Radiohead (accompanying a Merce Cunningham dance piece no less) may have satisfied some of the quartet’s more rabid fans, it perhaps seemed a suitable time for Von to be rather quietly ushered into American availability.