Trust me #81
Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros
Hoppipolla, released by Sigur Ros back in 2005 as a single and on their Takk album, is one of the most uplifting songs I've ever experienced live. Everything swells and soars to take you to a special place.
Sidenote - I've only just discovered that Hoppipolla is means hopping into puddles in Icelandic. Lovely!
The BBC quickly picked up on the uplifting and euphoric qualities of the song, using it to incredible effect in the 2006 Planet Earth series which took the band to a new level.
Hoppipolla connects emotionally through the wonderfully widescreen cinematic feel of the song. The strings are almost out of this world. Starting with a simple piano riff, the song builds quickly, naturally and beautifully. The piano is layered with orchestral strings, horns, beats and a vocal and melody (that I find myself attempting to sing - even though it is a mixture of Icelandic and a made up language!) are introduced, falling and then rising mesmerisingly to an epic conclusion.
Hopelandic is the bands 'invented language'. It works. Hoppipolla is universal, filling listeners with heartwarming joy.
Sigur Ros played, arranged and produced the song perfectly. The way things float down gently from 1 minute 49 seconds to almost nothing, before rising majestically to soar even higher than before is remarkable. I don't mind admitting to pretending to conduct an orchestra while blasting this song in my flat when I was younger ... after a few beers of course!
And it just keeps soaring for a while, then it glides down swiftly to land and finish.
Check this beautiful live film of the band performing the song at the Icelandic festival Heima in 2006.
