Little Dragons - Constant Surprises

Constant Surprises is the second single lifted from Little Dragons' self-titled debut, and man is it chilled out. A synthesizer humming over a laid back hip-hop beat lays the groundwork for Yukimi Nagano's vocals to slide in and make themselves at home. She sounds simultaneously soulful and understated as her airy vocals provide a warm foil to the instruments. The problem is Little Dragons are too cool; the song skims along at a steady clip and then ends before they bring out the hooks. The musical textures on the promo CD glow with a vinyl warmth but ultimately it's just too reserved. [Tobias Kahn]