A stopgap release until this absolutely masterful Icelandic band finally put together a proper follow-up for Takk - which just happened to be their third masterpiece in a row, Hvarf/Heim is a double disc set of hard to find/reworked tracks and an acoustic live album.

Hvarf is the first disc and it features five tracks, three of which that had never been released and two tracks that have been severely altered from their original versions from Sigur Ros' debut album Von (which lets be honest, isn't very good and doesn't sound anything like their last three LP's). Opening track "Salka" didn't quite make the cut for the () album, but that doesn't mean it's a klunker by any means. "Hljomlind" and "I Gaer" were both leftovers from their breakthrough album Agaetis Byrjun and it's easy to see why they were left off. The two are certainly decent tracks, but they don't come close to matching the majestic beauty of what led to Agaetis' final outcome. The one reason to own this set alone however are the reworked versions of Von's title track and "Hafsol." These tracks have been re-worked into epic near ten-minute masterpieces each with help from Icelandic string quartet Amiina. This re-worked version of "Hafsol" is so stunning it just might be the most powerful Sigur Ros creation out there to date.

Second disc Heim is the acoustic live album with Amiina backing them with strings and while it's very pretty, these versions of some of Sigur Ros' most popular tracks aren't as revolutionary as one would hope them to be. Yet one thing these acoustic versions do highlight however is just how powerful that falsetto is that Jon Thor Birgisson possesses. The notes this man can hit are damn near angelic and without a doubt awe inspiring, especially because of the live setting. This set is not essential to say the least (stopgap records usually never are) but the fact that this double disc set goes for a single disc price and the fact that it has its fair share of goodies overall makes this a welcome addition into Sigur Ros' sparse catalog.