Old songs in a new light

With no new songs, Sigur Ros's new double-EP set, "Hvarf/Heim," might raise accusations of money for old rope. However, these two separate recordings - one electric, one acoustic - form a haunting retrospective. The electric "Hvarf" (Icelandic for "disappeared") includes three previously unrecorded songs, some often performed live, along with new, expansive versions of "Von" and "Hafsol," from Sigur Ros's 1996 debut, re-recorded by the classic latter-day quartet lineup. "Heim" ("home") comprises six live acoustic cuts, mostly recorded during Sigur's free Icelandic tour in 2006 (captured on the forthcoming DVD "Heima"). Together, the EPs form a beautiful post-rock symphony, topped by singer and guitarist Jonsi Birgisson's simultaneously naïve and profound singing. This two-part suite ranges from the previously unreleased "Hljomalind," a resounding, driving rock song with a simple three-chord structure, to the acoustic, orchestral "Staralfur," which loses none of its ponderous, otherworldly magic as the original electronics are nixed, leaving strings, piano, acoustic guitar, and the steady thump of double bass. "Hvarf/Heim" is best kept off shuffle mode. Instead, hit cruise control, sit back, and soak up the journey.

ESSENTIAL "Hafsol"