Go!

What is it about newness? New car smell (second only, in my professional opinion, to new running shoe smell, preferably Saucony), the thrill of being in a new city, the sensation of tasting something totally new. And, of course, falling in love with a new album.

It's been awhile since I've experienced a truly great new album (the closest I've gotten in years was U2's No Line on the Horizon, and let's be honest, U2's top priority this past decade hasn't exactly been thrilling fans with their music), but I haven't forgotten what it's like. And I likes it. It likes it a lot.

There's something about listening to said new album six times in a row, just because you can, that makes you feel like a kid again, sprawled on your bed, reading the lyrics and album credits, right down to "Photography and Illustrations by Lilja Birgisdottir and Inga Birgisdottir." There's something about finding a new note, an instrument you hadn't detected before, an echo that that gives a song a totally new meaning. There's something about falling in love again. It makes you want to totally and completely absorb the object of your affections, to know it (her, him...) inside and out, right away, and to shout its virtues from the rooftops.

So, apologies if this reads like a review. (There are certainly better album reviews out there.) I just wants to share:

If you haven't heard the new album, Go, by Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi, go listen to it now. (You can stream the whole thing on his site.) It's so damn filled with explosive joy and wonder that it captures the way a child looks at the world on a sunny day. Maybe it's because I spent most of the last three weeks (more posts on the visit coming soon... promise) surrounded by babies and other child-type people, maybe it's the onset of Spring in Beijing, with its flowers blooming and birds chirping and ladies fan-dancing in the parks, but I can't help feeling a sense of child-like wonder and youthful renewal listening to Go. Even though I can't always understand what he's singing about (this album, unlike most of Sigur Ros's, is sung almost entirely in English, but his falsetto can still make individual words difficult to decipher), I feel completely uplifted. A nice change of pace from typical Sigur Ros stuff. Don't get me wrong: I like Sigur Ros. Muchly. But, after listening to a whole album, back to front, I too feel like holing up in a cave for the long, dark, Icelandic winter, and brooding.

Not so, Go. It's just a big damn sonic celebration.

Go, get Go. Listen. Enjoy.