Friday, April 2, 2010

REVIEW: Jónsi - Go

8.25 out of 10

Sigur Rós frontman Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson was once quoted as wanting to make a record full of music that didn't quite fit the specific style of the music he's most known for making. It wasn't until the writing process for Sigur Rós' 6th studio album "Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust" began. It was then that his audial visions started to come into focus. Last January, the band had announced that the were taking a year long hiatus for several reasons, one of them being several members recently having children. This opening in Sigur Rós' schedule gave Jónsi time to bring his ideas to fruition. Enter; "Go".

This solo effort by the falsetto intoner more than picks up where he and his band mates left off, only in a sightlier "more whimsical direction" boasting an almost childlike feel. On the more up-tempo tracks like "Go Do", "Animal Arithmetic" and "Boy Lilikoi", the driving drums astronomically aligned with sweeping woodwinds and flirty strings paint a portrait of a innocence and young love. On the opposite side of the audio sensory spectrum, songs like "Tornado", "Kolniður" and "Hengilás" are instilled with the familiar Icelandic Shoegaze formula that we're used to hearing (minus the quiet epic lengthiness of Sigur Rós). However these tracks could still easily be mistaken for b-sides from "Takk..." or "( )", but the adolescence-inspired shtick still applies. Also contributing in this opus is composer Nico Muhly, Fat Cat Records producer Peter Katis (Mercury Rev, The National, Fanfarlo, The Swell Season) and Parachutes founding member as well as Jónsi's live-in boyfriend, Alex Somers (1/2 Riceboy Sleeps).

"Go" can best be described as "Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust" Part 2. Which might be bad news for those of you who aren't huge fans of Sigur Rós' more recent "Pop" feel. But don't fret. Although "Go" is saturated with naive playfulness, Jónsi clearly and beautifully crafts a wise and mature approach to what I consider to be the quintessential soundtrack of youth in general.

Standout Tracks: Go Do, Kolniður, Grow Till Tall

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