Sigur Rós know something about floating in space. On Takk, they've come down nearer to earth. Takk is Sigur Rós scaled to human proportions. Remember that the popular adjectives to describe them include otherworldly, spacey, and ethereal. They may not walk amongst us yet musically, but Takk is as direct and close as they've come. It's an outstanding album.

As always, unless you speak Icelandic or Hopelandic or maybe even Cocteau Twinese, there's no message. Sorry, no lyric sheet to analyze. The songs may be children's stories, as singer Jónsi told NME, but the details are left to your imagination. Listening to Takk, you can choose your own adventure.

Here are my thoughts on each track:

Takk: An instrumental piece that gently establishes the mood for what is to follow.

Glósóli: For about four and half minutes a beat steps lightly through glistening chimes, hints of crescendos, and Jonsi's signature singing. Abandoning the limits of his made-up Hopelandic language for his native Icelandic, Jónsi's vocals are able to explore more varied and interesting ranges. The song reaches a precipice at the 4:32 mark and then takes flight into a stunning atmosphere of noise. Download "Glósóli" (MP3) live from Paris.

Hoppípolla: A pop song. No long build-ups, it jumps right in with delicate piano, multi-tracked vocals and strings. After rising to another stunning peak, a coda of horns gently carries over to the following song. It may be a stretch, but I could imagine hearing this on the radio.

Med Blódnasir: A brief interlude continuing the themes of "Hoppípolla" and bridging to "Sé Lest".

Sé Lest:: Another track built around glockenspiels, piano refrains, and swaying strings. Right when you think "Sé Lest" will follow the same slow build to climatic surge formula, Sigur Rós tweak it with glee. For example, listen for the waltzing horns that fade in near the end of the track. Do I detect a sense of humor?

Sæglópur: The first U.S. single from the album. Even more glockenspiel and piano, but also a soaring burst of energy that keeps rising and rising. Not as immediately remarkable as "Glósóli" or "Hoppípolla". Stream "Sæglópur" via Kingblind.

Mílanó: This has been a staple of their live show for awhile now. As it is likely one of the older songs on the album, it features the repetitive "you shine" Hopelandic lyrics that were the most disappointing aspect of () for me. It's not a bad piece, but one that I'm already familiar with from bootlegs and shows I've attended.

Gong: Another song that's been a part of the live sets. More "you shine", but skittering drums and crisp guitars elevate it above "Mílanó". There's a beautiful moment when everything drops out but a piano and Jonsi's singing. Also notable is Jónsi's voice cracking one or twice. I'm a big fan of leaving in imperfections like that.

Andvari: The concluding guitars of "Gong" carry right into "Andvari". A down-tempo breath of fresh cold air before the emotionally overwhelming "Svo Hljótt". The strings are the centerpiece on this serene track.

Svo Hljótt: Meanders a bit, but the last two minutes are nearly perfect.

Heysá: The quiet finale. One of the more structured and rock song-like tracks on the album. A great false ending is the highlight for me.

Takk is released in the U.S. on September 13, 2005.