Albums for Life: 50: Sigur Ros: Agaetis Byrjun

I remember this as being one of the first things that we listened to in the house in Corsica just after we brought it. Candlelight, local red, a ragu of wild boar, a haunch of which was gifted to us be the patron of our local bar, Bar de Golfe. We were dizzy, in love with the island and intoxicated with the possibilities of what our Corsican adventure might offer. I'd brought a few new CDs that we'd committed to listening in Corsica in the hope that they might specifically soundtrack our escapades; this was one of them. Neither of us were familiar with this band and Di giggled her way through the first couple of tracks, amused by the otherworldly falsetto of the singing, seemingly helium induced gibberish which we later found out to be labelled 'Hopelandic'. She soon fell silent as the icy beauty insinuated itself; appropriate as our first visit was during the feisty winter months.

The majesty of the music seemed perfect as we looked out at the grandeur of the massive snow capped Monte Grosse that dwarves the village.

All of Sigur Ros's subsequent albums are majestic, touched with genius, but this was our first vivid taste and remains an evocative reminder of those early days on the Isle de Beaute, a 'Hopeland' indeed...
Considering that we are about to sell up over there, this music is loaded heavy with precious nostalgia.