Takk…

[3/5] Depending on the scope of your cognitive abilities and attention span, Sigur Rôs’ brand of shapeshifting pop ambience is either hopelessly leaden or the soundtrack to your life. On their 2002 release, ( ), they achieved a level of transcendence with slow-motion guitars and keyboards, and singer Jón Birgisson’s high-pitched “Hopelandish” utterances, forcing you to use your soul to appreciate it. On Takk…, the band are actively seeking more animated vistas with anything that fits their aesthetic, from horn sections to calliopes to toy pianos to laptop experiments. Some uncharacteristic slamming by drummer Orri Páll Dyrason propels songs like “Saeglopur” and “Milano,” but the downside to all of this is that the cohesion that made their previous records so captivating has been significantly diminished to a handful of truly evocative tracks. (GEFFEN) Jason Pettigrew