It might be easy to write off Sigur Rós’ latest as nothing more than a filler release – the kind of thing a band puts out to tide over the fans until the next proper studio album comes out. In some ways, that’s true. There’s not any new material on Hvarf-Heim, a double album consisting of two EPs. Hvarf has three unreleased tracks and two from the band’s obscure debut album Von. Heim is a live EP, with six songs taken from all four Sigur Rós albums.

But just because there’s nothing new to be found here doesn’t mean there’s nothing worthwhile.

The three unreleased tracks on Hvarf will be instantly familiar to any Sigur Rós fan, but aren’t anything remarkable. It’s not difficult to see why the band never found a place for these on an album. But “Von” and “Hafsol,” originally found on the first Sigur Rós album deliver the spectacular kind of bombast that the band does best. The tracks have been significantly updated from their originals, and comparing the new with the old makes it clear how far Sigur Rós has come.

“Von” is soaring, yet mellow. The gorgeous work of string quartet Amiina drives the song and the simple drum beat that backs the song is surprisingly infectious.

“Hafsol” epitomizes the grandeur lead singer Jón Þór Birgisson is able to achieve through the use of his sweeping falsetto. Musically, the arrangement is rather simple here, but Birgisson’s voice literally lifts this song up through the rafters, building and building until reaching a crushing crescendo.

Songs like these two are the reason people listen to Sigur Rós – the sound is nothing short of majestic.

Heim consists of songs performed by Sigur Rós on their last two tours. There are two from Ágætis byrjun, two from ( ), one from Von and one from Takk... There’s not much here to indicate that these songs were performed live, save for the fact that they are all recorded acoustically, due to technical restrictions at many of the venues. It’s not vital to hear these songs acoustically if you haven’t – they don’t vary widely from their originals.