Album: Sigur Rós

Takk..., EMI

Compared with the crepuscular atmosphere of (), however, Takk... has a much brighter and more uplifting mood, opening with the shimmering sunrise sound of the title track before embarking on its epic journey with "Glosoli", where three bass drums combine to furnish a rhythm bed like oars dipping in water, while Jon Thor Birgisson's wordless, layered falsetto floats above another high e-bow backdrop. Despite the absence of lyrics, the music evokes vivid narratives of its own ­ in this case, suggesting choristers adrift following some naval calamity, calling on their god to guide them safely home, until the sheets of massed guitars arrive to swamp them like a supertanker. It's the band's most diverse album yet, and its rockiest, with the guitar arpeggios, clutter of drums and odd time signature of "Gong" recalling not the renowned pot-head pixies of that name, but Radiohead at their most foreboding and rewarding.