Sigur Ros, everyone's favourite Icelanders, have returned. Their tried and tested "quiet/loud" combinations have garnered them universal appeal, but there's been a sense of the band wanting to break free of their regular style, challenging their musical make-up. The problem is, they haven't quite managed it with Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. The album cover features band members, naked, running across a road - maybe a playful comment on the contents within or, if you're feeling harsher, a bare arsed (sorry) cheek comment on the quality of the material within.What first strikes you about Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust though is how accessible it is. Forget the fact that all the tracks (bar one) are sung in Icelandic, the song structures feel simpler in nature. The sweeping strings of previous recordings have been toned down and replaced with more guitars. The songs are generally shorter and more concise. However, herein lies the problem; they lack the inventiveness of their previous work. There's no mystery to the music, the enigma that is Sigur Ros has been laid bare.That's not to say that there isn't some magic on here, it's just not as magical as it once was. The burst of joy that is 'Inní mér syngur vitleysingur' sparkles in it's grandeur. The tinkling of notes sounding like a shower of light whilst the brass burst to life, awakening you from this mesmerising vision. 'Við spilum endalaust' is probably one of the most concise songs Sigur Ros have ever written, barely making three and a half minutes, yet it canters along. The haunting vocals rising and falling over the dominating bass-line and almost "pop" sensibilities of the song.However, for each of those you get the Sigur Ros-by-numbers approach. 'Góðan daginn' sounds like something we've heard a 100 times before, it's slow beginning and tremelo guitars bubbling under those ethereal vocals, building to a crescendo. Then there's the only English-sung song on here, 'Festival', which follows their usual template pretty closely. Nine minutes of quietness interspersed with bursts of music whilst ending with another earthquake of strings, drums and guitars thrashing together.In the end, it's the fact that they've not deviated ENOUGH from their usual sound that becomes the disappointment. They're still a great band; their music is awe-inspiring, momentus and moving. But with the band actively trying to get out of their comfort zone and not quite doing it, you have to wonder if the future is no longer bright for our Icelandic champions. 78%[Download Sigur Ros albums here]Links Sigur Ros [official site] [myspace]