On a new Sigur Rós album, warmth and light push through the darkness

On a new Sigur Rós album, warmth and light push through the darkness Enlarge this image toggle caption Tim Dunk/Courtesy of the artist Tim Dunk/Courtesy of the artist The music scene in Iceland is very "small-d" democratic. It's therefore not surprising that Iceland's beloved experimental rock band Sigur Rós is kicking off its summer tour Friday with a 41-piece orchestra. ÁTTA unspools like a symphonic song cycle, with frontman Jónsi's high-flying falsetto often reaching for operatic ecstasy in songs like "Skel", which he calls "the emo song," and "Ylur" where the singer stays aloft, riding the spiraling thermals of strings and electronics. Another song in Hopelandic is "Klettur", which sports a lumbering, concussive beat that suddenly halts to allow the heavens to open in celestial light via huge keyboard pedal points and soaring strings.