Go [CD]

What a fabulous album. Sigur Rós' frontman Jónsi Birgisson's solo album titled "Go" consists of symphonic electronic music and is surprisingly pop orientated in places, and what's wrong with that? His recent cover of MGMTs "Time to Pretend" was a revelation and showcases his voice touched by his Icelandic accent and with beautiful depth. It points to to some of the work on here with his vocals at the forefront but of course echoes of the "mothership" Sigur Ros also abound. Indeed it is a hybrid made in heaven containing Jonsi's desire to carve a new path but building on the foundations of the best of what has gone before. Indeed the new found freedom allows him to reinvent himself something which Sigur Ros for all their sheer brilliance have generally avoided embracing instead redefinition and preferring more incremental progression.

Start at the most radical departure which is "Boy Lilikoi". Gentle waves of warm synths tinkle in the background and then a joyous vocal follows from Birgisson that is so sweet that it could almost be a Scritti Politti song. Likewise the albums opener "Go do" is all fluttering flutes and bouncing rhythms which build up to a remarkable noise and has the word "single" stamped all over it. Animal Arithmetic on times sounds like euro disco but it is excellent, madly danceable and with enough twists and turns to give your speakers multiple identity problems. "Tornado" alternatively is a darker and fuller beast for which you must employ the overused word "epic", as Jonsi sings "You grow like tornado, you grow from the inside, destroy everything"

The album in its second half moves into more familiar Sigur Ros territory and again works so well he ought to patent this music. Inevitably you are drawn to the final three tracks the hugely euphoric "Around Us" in effect ends the pop music and the choral beauty and glacial clarity of Sigur Ros becomes apparent. The slow, crystal like beauty that unfolds around that angelic vocal are accompanied by overlays of snow drop synths on "Grow till tall" which are testament to Jonsi's work with composer Nico Muhly. It has the same kind of otherworldly effect as Radiohead's "Motion Picture Soundtrack" and is a towering highlight. Why then not follow it with yet another one which Jonsi does immediately in the form of "Heniglas" with its huge backdrop of tearful cellos. Having already mentioned soundtracks producers will flock to have this song as a part of their project. Sigur Ros's composition "Hoppipolla" has been a staple of programmes by the "latter day Saint" Sir David Attenborough, it also increasingly used to underpin great sporting moments. It now has a rival since "Heniglas" deserves the visual imagery of a "Planet Earth" quality context where we can be rendered speechless by both the splendour of all the aesthetic and orchestral beauty.

Giving out 5 stars sometimes brings on bouts of guilt. Are your impressions wrong, will the album grow or fizzle out and what if no one else likes it? Frankly who cares, "Go" is immense and fit to burst with sounds that make the world that bit better/brighter and is the reason why Baz Luhrmann once stated that "music is there for when words fail us".

On first listen this album sounds like pop-ified Sigur Rós -- tracks like "Go Do" and "Boy Lilikoi" may initially scare off long-term fans of the band with their faster, more up-tempo melodies... But I'm one of those long-term fans too - I first listened to Sigur way-back-when, when Agaetis Byrjun hit the shelves - an album which took me through many a university assignment, and still my favourite Sigur Rós album ahead of Takk... And while at first I hated this solo album and neglected listening to it for a second time for way over a fortnight, I eventually came back to it when I was sitting in my garden one night in need of something uplifting.

And that's when it all made sense. This album may be Sigur Light, in many respects (shortened track lengths, never quite so over the top) but the melodies and the song writing are utterly spell-binding. The pop-ish songs grow on you eventually and provide a wonderful contrast to the beauty of "Tornado", "Sinking Friendships" and most notably: "Grow Till Tall", which is as stunning a piece of music as Jonsi has ever produced. In many ways, the pop songs "glue" the album together better than any previous Sigur Rós album due to the increased range of more upbeat emotions on show -- the energy created during the first four tracks makes the slower pieces that close the album all the more moving and intense.

"Go" will be overlooked by many: too "different" to be pop, and too "pop" to be Sigur Rós... But give it a chance and it will leave a very profound mark on you. This is an almost perfect musical experience from beginning to end. Buy it, give it time, and eventually treasure it.

This album fills me with pure joy. I cannot listen to it without a smile on my face, a spring in my step and a warmth in my heart.
Jonsi's voice, singing mostly in English this time, is so achingly ethereal and beautiful it fills every track with an otherworldy feel and leaves you feeling like you've experienced something deeply profound.
If you love Sigur Ros you won't go wrong with this album. It's just as uplifting and gorgeous. Jonsi is clearly a musical genius.