Even before the release of the previous Sigur Ros album in 2013, band members more or less went their separate ways. HUIZENGA: The album came about by chance, really. 'ATTA,' the band's eighth album, manages to be its most majestic and intimate at the same time. TOM HUIZENGA, BYLINE: Sigur Ros' music, with its lush layers and slow, churning grandeur, has often commanded a symphonic feel. It's called 'ATTA,' or 'Eight.' And NPR's Tom Huizenga has been listening. SIGUR ROS: (Singing in non-English language).ĬHANG: The band is touring to support its first album in 10 years. So it's not surprising that Iceland's beloved experimental rock band Sigur Ros is kicking off its summer tour tonight with a 41-piece orchestra. Musicians might rehearse with a symphony during the day and play in a metal band at night. The music scene in Iceland is very small-d democratic.

ÁTTA, the band's first album in 10 years, sports an orchestra of strings, high-flying vocalism and its signature bittersweet melodies.

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