Jónsi – “Swill”

Jónsi – “Swill”

It’s been seven years since Sigur Rós, the great Icelandic chest-swelling institution, released Kveikur, their last proper album, and we don’t know when we’ll hear from them again. But right now, we might be getting something more exciting. A full decade ago, frontman Jónsi Birgisson released his gorgeous solo debut Go. Today, Jónsi announces that he’ll finally drop the Go follow-up this fall. The new album is called Shiver, and it looks awesome.

Back in April, Jónsi released “Exhale,” a very cool single that he recorded with PC Music mastermind A. G. Cook. As it turns out, that’s the blueprint for the whole LP. Jónsi co-produced the entire LP with Cook. It’ll feature guest appearances from immortal Cocteau Twins leader Liz Fraser — Jónsi’s foremother in the arena of blissed-out, incomprehensible flights of vocal fancy — and Robyn. And today, Jónsi has also unveiled the new single “Swill.”

“Swill” might have an ugly name, but it’s a lovely song. On the track, Jónsi welds Sigur Rós’ mythic sense of uplift to Cook’s streaking synth sounds and explosively chattery electronic drums. It’s beautiful and disorienting in equal measures. In director Barnaby Roper’s video, hands pull Jónsi’s face in every direction, while CGI bodies warp and twist into one another. Check out the “Swill” video and the Shiver tracklist below.

TRACKLIST
01 “Exhale
02 “Shiver”
03 “Cannibal” (Feat. Liz Fraser)
04 “Wildeye”
05 “Sumarið Sem Aldrei Kom”
06 “Kórall”
07 “Salt Licorice” (Feat. Robyn)
08 “Hold”
09 “Swill”
10 “Grenade”
11 “Beautiful Boy”

Shiver is out 10/2 on Krunk. Also of note: Dark Morph, Jónsi’s duo with Carl Michael von Hausswolff, released their Dark Morph II EP last month.

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