The latest in post-rock from Iceland sounds surprisingly similar to Iceland’s premier post-rock group, Sigur Rós, and with good reason. The quartet has performed with Sigur Rós on many occassions, both in the studio and live, typically as a string quartet. As such, it’s fairly reasonable to equate Amiina with the soft, ethereal glow of the Sigur Rós sound; it’s not far off to make that connection, either.
Kurr is packed with those incredible tones that have made this blend of post-rock something other than a passing trend. When music is this beautiful and breathtaking, it’s hard to simply throw it to the curb, and, indeed, it would seem almost inhuman. Amiina has created something here that is impressively eloquent in its flow. The soundscapes here are vast enough to have even casual listeners find themselves lost in their canyons and floating upstream in their rivers.
Perhaps it’s best put simply: Kurr is unmistakably beautiful. Amiina have made a logical connection with their past work with Sigur Rós and extrapolated it create to this album, which is perhaps as well-crafted as the latest Sigur Rós release, Takk…. Kurr is an album that, while just released, is sure to turn some heads, once again, towards Iceland.
Matthew Montgomery