One of my favorite bands, Icelandic ambient quartet Sigur Ros, appear to have split. The band has described it as "taking it easy" and cited falsetto Jonsi Birgission's solo project as the reason for the hiatus. But after a scrapped record and growing creative disparity amongst the band's members, it sounds more like a breakup. 

Senior year of high school I saw them play Benaroya Hall in Seattle. Their sweepingly-involving instrumentation mixed with some pretty stellar (if shoddily photographed) visual imagery. I remember, there was a woman sitting a few seats down, tan and in her late 40s, telling us about their show in Denver. She had followed them west into California and up the Pacific coast. It was that sort of transformative experience.

It transformed this family:

Their last studio record was 2008's "Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust," or: the one with the naked people on it. More recently the band circulated a compilation disc in the UK, highlighting nine previously released tracks. It was titled: "We Play Endlessly."

Kidding aside, it's really sad to see them go. From the scrappy young newspaper-baron that first saw them to the bitter, old, unemployed blogger I've grown into, I've always struggled to describe their music. You just have to let it wash over you. 

//News via revivl.