Solo album from Sigur Rós frontman

December 8th, 2009

Chris

Courtesy: Pitchfork

The debut solo LP from impossibly high-voiced Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi Birgisson, Go, is set to hit retail locations of all sorts on March 23 courtesy of XL. Based on the wildly symphonic new track “Boy Lilikoi” (available for download at Jónsi’s site), Go does not sound like some half-assed side project. If anything, the song is more over-the-top than most of Sigur Rós’s crescendo-prone oeuvre.

Indie-leaning modern classical innovator Nico Muhly (Björk, Grizzly Bear) arranged the whole record, and his flourishing touch can be heard on “Boy Lilikoi”, along with several teasing snippets also available at Jónsi’s web HQ.

The nine-song LP was co-produced by Jónsi, his Riceboy Sleeps partner Alex Somers, and Peter Katis (the National, Interpol), and recorded in Iceland and Connecticut. Finnish percussionist (and Múm member) Samuli Kosminen also contributed to the album. And while Jónsi is known for singing in Icelandic or his own made-up language, most of Go features the vocalist using actual English words.

A press release promises a world tour come next year. For now, you’ll have to settle for the album’s tracklist, which is below:

Go:

01 Go Do
02 Animal Arithmetic
03 Tornado
04 Boy Lilikoi
05 Sinking Friendships
06 Kolnidur
07 Grow Till Tall
08 Around Us
09 Hengilas