Go

While his bandmates take time off to raise children, Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi unveils a charmingly vibrant indie-pop solo debut. Stepping out from the relatively anonymous set-up of his longtime band, Jonsi presents himself as a sort of faerie warrior in Go’s promotional art and videos, and the accompanying songs are appropriately magical. The gorgeous orchestral flourishes of go-to arranger Nico Muhly perfectly enhance the wonder of Jonsi’s highly melodic and expansive tunes. Those concerned that Jonsi’s embrace of English may diminish his otherworldly vocal presence can rest assured that most lyrics on Go are still happily indecipherable. While the album shares some of the dreamy sonic atmosphere of Sigur Ros, it has a distinct life and sound of its own. (See also Fever Ray and Atlas Sound, conceptually similar solo projects by the singers from The Knife and Deerhunter.) A welcome shift from Riceboy Sleeps, Jonsi’s lovely, but occasionally snoozy, ambient-leaning album with boyfriend Alex Somers (who co-produces here), Go delicately balances percolating, percussive songs (“Go Do” and “Animal Arithmetic”) with measured, meditative numbers (“Tornado” and “Kolnidur”) for the most eclectic and immediately engaging outing of Jonsi’s entire discography.