Shining, unearthly, icelandic pop with the wide-eyed wonder of a child
The lead singer of Sigur Rós, Jónsi, releases his first solo effort. In 2008, Sigur Rós put out ‘Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust’ which came a surprise to fans as it lacked some of the sweeping, grandiose cuts. That album showed the more childish/innocent side to the music as well as introducing acoustic guitar on almost every track as one of the leading instruments.
In 2009, Jónsi and his boyfriend Alex put out ‘Riceboy Sleeps’, a more ambient track that almost completely lacks vocals. The Jónsi and Alex effort, though gorgeous and sprawling was actually quite sleepy. ’Go’, however, does not shy away from showcasing Jonsi’s distinct falsetto howl, in fact, almost every track centers on his voice. What’s more, the acoustic strumming reverted back to violin… or at least guitar played with a bow perhaps.
The opening track, “Go Do”, sounds like it could have been chipped from the same volcanic rock as “Gobbledigook” off of ‘Med Sud’; uplifting flutes, beating drums, crescendoing snares all set the mood for the rest of the album.
Before we continue on how great the rest of the album is, I will pause in a confused sort of way to explain the second track. ”Animal Arithmetic” seems to miss the mark, the whole effort sounds more like a b-side to a Seabear album, even the name seems kitschy. And my confusion stems especially from the juxtaposition of this song with the soft piano melody that follows.
Although this is surely a pop album, the tracks on the album follow the fairly standardized post-rock buildup pattern, which is not an attempt to knock the album in any way. Overall, this album is a long-awaited whistle-wetter, takk.
RIYL Sigur Rós, Parachutes, Amiina
Sugg# 1, 4, 6, 7, 8 (all?)
FCC Clean (made up swears probably don’t count)