Jonsi - Go

Perhaps it's backlash again the concurrent lo-fi resurgence, but chamber-pop, that fey and fancy hyphenate teeming with tunings and time signatures, is enjoying an upswing in popularity. Outstanding recent albums from Grizzly Bear, Beirut, Owen Pallett and Joanna Newsom make a strong case for orchestral arrangements outside of power ballads. On the crest of the woodwind wave comes the debut album from Sigur Ros' falsettoed frontman Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson, himself no stranger to grand gestures. The nine songs on Go, due April 6 from XL, were written during Jónsi's years with Sigur Ros and make shrewd use of the band's signature epic/intimate dynamic. No surprises there, but thanks to arrangements from classical wunderkind Nico Muhly (Bjork, Antony And The Johnsons) the dynamic is, if possible, even more dynamic.

Muhly took sketches that were intended to become a "low-key, accoustic" album and filled in the lines with rich, vibrant colors. While the songs are strong, as those familiar with Sigur Ros should expect, one gets the impression that Go as a singer-songwriter record would be like The Wizard Of Oz set entirely in Kansas. Muhly tornadoes each track into technicolor, and if the album proves transcendent - as many will surely claim - it is as much to his credit as Jónsi's. The first two songs to hit the internet are shimmering odes to joy that only a basket case could fail to find uplifting, and they portend great things to come from Go.

Artist Site   MySpace   XL

Jónsi - Boy Lilikoi (From Go)