Tik Takk

Takk, the new album from Sigur Ros is released on 12 September. I think it's fair to say that everybody at 66 Ulsterville Gardens is pretty excited. Dave went to see them in Glasgow and described it as "an out of body experience". Could have been the drink.

Having had the privilige of listening to a promo I think the excitement is justified. Sigur Ros started small with lots of funny noises and not much else on Von Brigidi, then Agaetis Byrjun and 2002's () found Sigur Ros feeling their way to bigger and better things.

But now they're signed to a major label. Before you can say "corporate whore" rest assured Takk displays the hall mark signs of limited edition packaging, publicity blitz, big money producers fat cats.

It's provoked a bit of controversy. On the whole everybody thinks Takk is great, including me I should add. But for some, notably the well-respected WIRE magazine, thnk "pattern so often repeated, it becomes formulaic, with some tracks simply existing as extended codas for their predecessors" and "What began as an intriguing Icelandic mixof abstraction and emotion has ended up sounding like an indie Last Night of the Proms." They have a point. The big buck producer has obviously said, Coldplay are doing this great 'build it up into something big thing, so why don't you guys do it too'. And so Sigur Ros comply. And they do it well, no problem there, but they do it in every song.

It's like EMI told them what a chorus is for. I liked the twinkling paino of untitled #3 on (), and the low organ opening the album. Now we have trumpets that sound like Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.

It's always difficult to see your favourite band grow up and be loved by everyone. They're not your secret anymore. Sigur Ros are no longer the select of music snobs and gurus, now they're music for the people. Quibbles aside, Takk is great, even in its limited edition packaging.