Sigur Rós: Se Lest
03/20/2010
(Weekend Music)
Yeah, I know, there hasn't been much here except weekend music--I'm still having to think more about design and maintenance of the blog than writing.
Rob Grano sent me this several days ago (thanks, Rob), and it was only this morning that I finally had a chance to listen to/watch it. It's a strings-and-percussion arrangement of a Sigur Rós song, "Se Lest," from the Takk... album. I don't know that album, which pleases me, because that means there is a whole Sigur Rós album I haven't heard (though I think this song was in that wonderful wonderful concert film).
And here is the song as SR recorded it. I must say, I like this a little better, mainly because of the haunting vocal. And I love this video. Usually I hate the fast-cutting technique that seems to be used everywhere now, but this doesn't bother me, I think partly because most of it is so fast that my eyes don't come to rest at all. The video hits the same spot that Sigur Rós does, so, warning: susceptible persons may find themselves needing to wipe their eyes.
Maybe when I get dragged off to a nursing home I can take an mp3 player with nothing but Sigur Rós and Bach on it. And Mahler. And Sibelius. And Astral Weeks....
One of the things that matters about them as a band is that they seem truly to care about beauty. That's very much a rarity these days among pop/rock groups.
Posted by: Rob G | 03/20/2010 at 05:41 PM
And there's such an unusual...non-evil-ness about their music. It seems *good*. I thought of Lewis's idea of the "baptized imagination" earlier when I was listening to this. I don't have any reason to think they're Christians but it certainly wouldn't surprise me to find that they are.
Posted by: Mac | 03/20/2010 at 06:01 PM
Like clear water--guess that fits in with the baptized imagination.
Glad to see Rob.
AMDG
Posted by: Janet Cupo | 03/20/2010 at 06:17 PM