Takk…

It’s often said that Iceland is a misnomer, that it’s actually a very green land and that Greenland is more Icelandic. That hasn’t stopped one of Iceland’s finer musical exports from exploiting this misconception with the iciest orchestration they can sustain. Takk… is their fourth proper studio album and stands as another worthy addition to their ambient, interstellar overdrives. The quartet spends most of their time loitering, deliberately slowing down and creating aimless webs of sound that feel like dream sequences interspersed with unexpected visitors. “Se Lzst,” for example, lazily meanders until met by a horn section in its final minutes, demanding that they pick up the pace. Sigur Ro_s have written music for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and the Danish Royal Ballet and have scored independent films. Takk… reflects these influences as it fits neatly into the cracks between pop and ambient, dance and film score. Just don’t expect a steady beat or a narrative to help you along. This is music meant to inspire your imagination and is best listened to as a complete 65-minute trip.