Little Dragon: Machine Dreams

A lot of the electronic dance pop emerging today is just garbage, and its hard for me at times to understand the popularity of some of these "bands".  I understand the urge and often need to freak out and dance like a methed-out robot from time to time, but the music you do it to doesn't have to be awful, right?  There can be electro-pop and beat heavy music that still has texture and color, grace as well as thump.  

Such is the case with Gothenburg, Sweden's Little Dragon.  On there new album, Machine Dreams, the group, led by vocalists Yukimi Nagano, offer a complete landscape.  The opening "A New" sounds like pre-show music, fuzzing in and out, with just enough of Nagano's smokey coo to bait the listener.  "Looking Glass" bubbles out next, and sounds like a sexy Tom Tom Club opening up a new CBGB's on an undiscovered moon.  The keyboards are heavy throughout the album, but shine here.  "My Step" ups the pace with synth and temp changes, near somewhere near the lighter side of quality Ladytron records.  "Feather" feels like a scenic drive, or swim, through some fuzzy Dionysian future.  

Full review, tour dates, and mp3 after the jump...

The Swedish-Japanese (proof of God?) Nagano drifts from a whispered speaking voice one beat to effortlessly bending high register notes the next.  "Thunder Love" sounds like a goodbye carved into a nightstand, but with just enough charm and lust remaining to give chase.  The steady kick drum and key swells of "Never Never" lay the perfect trap for the vocals to teasingly push the listener into face first.  "Runabout" once again channels Tom Tom and Talking Heads with its spiraling 80s flavor and roller skate bounce, plus timbales! to add I little cosmic swing.  "Swimming" sounds like a Gwen Stefani pouty daydream in a castle full of synthesizers and theremins.  "Blinking Pigs"starts cloudy but evolves.  "Fortune" closes the album with a summation of what makes this band tick: flexible but steady tempos, unpredictable keys, and Nagano's simple, elegant style.  


Little Dragon have managed to pull the better aspects of groups like fellow Swedes The Knife, Chairlift, classic Tricky, and even LCD Soundsystem, to provide a cool balance that is overly listenable.  For me, Machine Dreams can be as much dance party as background dinner music.  Little Dragon are certainly a welcome massage after the recent migraines passing as music.

Little Dragon tour dates can be found here.   Hear "Feather"

Oh.... did I mention that Yukimi Nagano is blazing sexy.