For the Icelandic avant-pop rogues the Sugarcubes, paradox isn't just a state of mind; it's an art form. A large part of their energy and allure comes from the power of juxtaposition: teaming the sweet spectral coo of singer Björk Gudmundsdottir with the sour sing-Sprache of Einar Örn; jazzing up dark impressionist verse with jittery dance-floor maneuvers; writing love songs that equate...

After a couple of albums and plenty of touring, the Sugarcubes couldn't be expected to replicate the childlike abandon that sparked their startling 1988 debut, Life's Too Good. And what do you do after a disappointing, scattershot second album? The Icelandic sextet hired producer Paul Fox, whose specialty seems to be ironing out the quirks of idiosyncratic artists like Robyn Hitchcock and XTC,...