Fever Ray "Radical Romantics" (2023)

 

Either searching for the timeless nightly spell of Fever Ray, or listening with open ears for a new avenue, bar a few flashes of light, Radical Romantics plays like a reassembly of proven ideals. Lacking a distinctive spark, the music resemble the past, lacking a fresh feverish persuasion. On one hand I adore the blueprint, Karin Dreijer's unique, slightly quirky but madly primal voice, a transient experience among its oddity arrangements. Zany melodies, mysterious synth aesthetics and disjointed percussion converge on their frictions, birthing an atmosphere only this artist lays claim too.

That once mezmorizing soothing ethereal charm seems absent. In the lulls and quells, an atmosphere lurches distant and peculiar. An out of focus form in abstract forms. Karin's voice is often the unifying element, gluing the instrumental strangeness together with direction and expression. With its elements often on the minimal side, those moments between a human voice often feel lacking, as if awaiting her presence.

Kandy catches my ear with its tropical steel drums intersecting the peculiar nature with a beachy sunny warmth. Its the following Even It Out that excels. A tense bass synth and thumping kick drum creates the drive for warbling synths and her agitated repetitions to swell above. The breezy "woo-hoo"s a wild contrasting tension relief. So gratifying. Sadly the rest of the record lacks a spice to elevate beyond the expectant. A really enjoyable album for this fan but I felt it missed a mark so within its grasp.

Rating: 6/10

Fever Ray "Plunge Remix" (2019)

My disapproval and contempt for this record mainly stems from my own impulsive purchase of what often lands a loss in the hit or miss equation of the contentious remix album. On the whims of pure excitement, the promise of a new Fever Ray record had my handing over my cash without thought, not even a quick stream to see what this Remix of 2017's exceptional Plunge album would be like. As you might guess, I am not impressed. The bar is set low as these ninety six minutes seem to have little in the way of a quality threshold. A whole host of names, none of which I know, jump on board to tear apart the instrumentals, with Fever's voice held together to form mere semblances of the original material. She is the highlight, her singing holds up to some of the monstrosities on here. It feels like a dumping ground for half baked beats and b-sides that have been lumped together, making little of interest to find new avenues through old roads. Its a wasted opertunity.

For the majority of songs, melody or song structure seems to be of little importance. Much of these remixes play like experimental exercises in rhythmic noise, abstractions of Dance and Club music. Electronic percussion patters around aimlessly maligning the samples and vocals snippets of the source material with uninspiring results. The energy is dull and with its reasonable songs squished into the first few numbers, its a long and painful ride. I can empathize that this isn't my preferred style of music, these sub par tracks may offer some intrigue to fans but Id be hard pressed to believe anyone would enjoy such stinking lows as Rip Me's "rework" of Idk About You. Its stark baselines, minimal whirl Trance synths and desolate deployment of harsh kicks is an absolute calamity of anti ideals assaulting the listener.

There is unfortunately a couple of equally bad songs that test my tolerance. I hope this serves me as a remind that Remix albums can be foul. This might be one of the worst in recent memory, perhaps it could rival Meow The Jewels. The take away is that this is a novel record, maybe not even for the die hard fans. I'd like a refund but the music economy doesn't work that way. I'm joking... or am I?

Rating: 2/10

My Top 10 Albums Of 2017

Another year rolls around and looking back over my posts there was a lot of good music enjoyed which I struggled to narrow into a list of ten. With almost ninety new releases covered this year I have noticed to no surprise a bit to much Metal. I think that's why my top ten is proportionately less metallic than the bulk of music I enjoyed. I think next years goal should be to avoid predictably dull Metal records and get into new sounds that can have a bigger impact on me!
 
(10) Trivium "The Sin And The Sentence" link

I was a little hesitant to put this one on the list, its all a bit fresh to me still but given their reputation I don't think Trivium's music will fade on me anytime soon, this record is so well crafted, all its hooks and riffs are balanced so well, the fuel tank never runs out from start to finish it has you in its grasp.

(9) Lorde "Melodrama" link

 

Some albums take a little time to show themselves. On release It was obviously impressive but later in the year revisiting this record the emotions flowed and all the intricacies of the production come washing over like a flood, especially Lorde's voice which has certainly shown its charm.

(8) Wiley "Godfather" link

Hes a name brand! Or at least that's how the hook goes. This was actually my introduction to Wiley, I name I've heard of since the early days of Grime. I was blown back by how tight the production and rhymes are, Godfather is a solid record loaded with fun hooks and goofy bad man characters that are so much fun given the technicality of Wileys flows. Looking forward to the sequel in 2018!

(7) Cavalera Conspiracy "Psychosis" link

Its hard to get excited for straight up balls to the wall metallic heaviness these days but from an unexpected place comes an album so tightly crafted its groove and heavy bombastic noise is tuned to full throttled. With a fantastic scope of creativity in the instrumentation beyond Metal's bare bones, the record is elevated to a place where the best of old and new ideas meet in flawless execution.

(6) Kendrick Lamar "DAMN." link

I don't think anything comes close in terms of Hip Hop this year. Kendrick is serving the old generation and new with fresh creative beats and a fiery, ambitious flow loaded with intelligent lyrics to chew into. It was a slow burn for me at first but I enjoyed it most when my phones shuffle feature would pull me back into the record time and time again, that's when it really clicked for me.

(5) Erang "Songs Of Scars" link

Although its part of the Anti Future off shoot, Songs Of Scars is Erang's best work yet. In this vision the music really hits its stride, delivering cinematic music drenched in a mysterious eighties nostalgia that's creepy, playful and adventurous. The instrumentation is lush and the production right on point for a riveting listen that holds you from start to end.

(4) Godflesh "Post Self" link

Broadrick has out done himself here, twenty eight years on from his prolific Streetcleaner album you wouldn't expect that stroke of genius again but with Post Self he has reinvented the Godflesh sound for something truly riveting. It wasn't actually until I sat down to write up on this record that its genius really struck me. There is so much brilliance in the intricacies that it engulfs you with ease.

(3) Fever Ray "Plunge" link

I have been thrilled by the release of this record! Given the large silence since Fever Ray I thought it may never come! Plunge is a similar beast but more experimental with Noise and Industrial influences making an earthly racket on an album that feels initially challenging but doesn't interrupt the core of the music which is very much in the same vein, its not as good as her self titled but still one heck of a record you can place alongside it.

(2) Horsebeach "Beauty & Sadness" link

 A viewer was kind enough to share their bands bandcamp with me, I had no clue what was in store, least of all did expect to find such a gem! I adore this record, the music, its aesthetics the quirky interlude tracks. It feels like a slice of time frozen, the mood and tone frozen, only to come to life when you hit play. Really blown away by this one, its a gorgeous swell of emotion and passion.

(1) Sikth "The Future In Whose Eyes" link

With each and every listen this album failed to loose the charm it bestowed after only a few listens. I thought these riffs and hooks might fade with repetition but it has held up so well over the months making up this year. Time and time again it has delivered, I think the lack of intentionally bombastic or obvious moments lets the craft of the songs hold up. I also got to catch a couple of the songs live which was a real treat!

Fever Ray "Plunge" (2017)

I dreamed but never thought it would be so, eight years on Swedish musician Karin Dreijer releases a follow up to her critically acclaimed self titled Fever Ray. In the three years since my discovery of her debut It has grown to be one of my all time favorite records, the sort you have to always consider when making top tens and playlists. Her sophomore Plunge comes entirely out of the blue, a rouge email in my inbox I thought to good to be true but alas it is so. With only a video single released a week prior, this surprise release is more than just a pleasant one.

First impressions were wild, all I could focus on was all that was different. Plunge felt dissonant, avant-garde and ambiguously adventurous with its entrancing electronics. Working with more ambitious, experimental sounds the textural journey continually weaves webs of intricate noise arrangements flailing from Glitch to Electonica, with hints of Industrial in its noisy, less melody driven passageways. The atmosphere shifts and varies from one track to the next, conjuring obscure, spacial vibes that can delve into gentle unease and unearthly sounds with the measure for calm, soothing relaxation. On its other hand these songs can become animalistic, dark and paranoid in their abrasive persuasions.

All of this often revolves around a sturdy backbone of stripped back club and House beats. Hard thuds detached from the conventional pop of a snare and tempo setting hi-hat let the dense instrumental arrangement absorb the attention a club groove would often dominate. A hand full of songs, maybe four to five of the songs feel straight of the back of the last album, utilizing the same bell and siren-like synths but deploying slow and steady kick and snare grooves in contrast to the more polarizing, experimental tracks. "Red Trails" being one of these songs you could slip onto Fever Ray has to get a shout for Sara Parkman's stunningly, morose, harrowing violin solo that seeps itself into the atmosphere like a parasite, eating the song from the inside out, carving its menace through an otherwise chilled, if not dark track. Stellar moment on the record.

The production being of this modern era is unsurprisingly crisp, no thanks to the state of technology but balancing all that heard is done with a touch of class. The record can feel almost clustered in moments with all the rattling of intricate sounds swirling around, from start to end its all managed and put together in a lean and easy setting. Karin's singing is infectious, her unique, estranged voice is unleashed with the wit to spin her expressions into elevating hooks, radiating the music and lodging themselves into your consciousness. Lyrical themes are entwined in sexuality, charged by identity and eroticism, the sometimes coarse but often poetic lyrics rub up against some obviously political statements, see "This Country" to hear unflattering commentary that's hard to ignore.

Ultimately, Plunge is a superb record, little to fault and plenty to rave about, Its an endearing listen. My main point of questioning would be in its two halves, distinctly alike to its predecessor on half the tracks taking a big leap forward in experimentation on its other half we essentially get the best on two worlds. To repeat yourself or be inconsistent on a record can sometimes be a hindrance but neither of these possible considerations seem to matter in the case of Plunge, which will probably go head to head with Sikth for my favorite release this year!

Rating: 8/10

Fever Ray "Fever Ray" (2009)

Its always good to challenge yourself musically, In a search for some music out of my "comfort zone" i actually discovered something perfectly suited for me. This is Swedish singer/song writer Fever Ray's debut and only album, and its a work of art! Having recently discovered she is one half of The Knife i have certainly found something new to listen too, but lets talk about this record first.

This album represents an artistic craft of sound and soul, there is an air of ambiance and minimalism that is built out of detailed constructs of layered instrumentation extending through the rhythm, bass and synth in perfect unison. It produces some beautiful and memorable atmospheres that brings new understanding with each listen. Fever's voice glides over the gentle, absorbing instruments with a raw, charismatic charm that drives home the winning formula this album has.

This album provides many "moments" both lyrically and musically on this album, the lyrics are almost child like at times with Fever often focusing on the simplicity of wants and needs, with no consequence of reality. They make for some relate-able and memorable lines. There's also some great simple synth leads and hooks that jump out of the track and strike with such great timing to really drive home the tracks when they are at there peak. Fantastic songwriting.

Favorite Tracks: When I Grow Up, Triangle Walls, Concrete Walls
Rating: 9/10