Hvarf/Heim

Spin (p.125) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "HEIM's unplugged conceit -- which spotlights vocalist Jonsi Birgisson's high, ghostly howls -- showcases the band's eerie pull." Entertainment Weekly (p.132) - "[T]he Sigur Ros formula works....[A] testament to the band's ability to achieve enormous dynamic range with or without amplifiers." -- Grade: B+ Uncut (p.102) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "'Staralfur' and 'Asetis Byrjun' are plain gorgeous, allowing what are essentially protracted pop melodies to ebb and flow across the acoustic backing." Alternative Press (p.130) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "Nowhere in recent memory has there been a trace of something so breathtaking, epic or even remotely inspiring as portrayed within the sweeping arrangements and frightening fragility of HVARF/HEIM." The Wire (p.65) - "[T]he stripped down acoustic versions of their earlier material...reveal the group's talent for simple, beautiful melodies and melancholy song..." Q (Magazine) (p.114) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "'I Gaer' builds from icicle-laden wonder to snarling intensity, and positions Sigur Ros on the same spectrum of proggy nihilism as Radiohead and Pink Floyd." Q (Magazine) (p.73) - Ranked #46 in Q's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2007" -- "[O]ne of their most approachable offerings....A reminder 'epic' need not be a dirty word." Mojo (Publisher) (p.98) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Salka pulls off the profoundly Icelandic trick of sounding both despairingly melancholy and utterly life-affirming..." Record Collector (magazine) (p.91) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "'Agaetis Byrjun' always had a heart of acoustic folk at its centre and this live version allows it to beat even more freely."