Frost Children – Sister

Frost Children's latest record Sister sounds less like an album, and more a playlist being blasted at some 2011 beach rave; like being 13 again, watching Monstercat videos for hours. Most of the songs have the intensity of an opener, diluting their power and impeccable production; by the end, the drops and tonal shifts don’t hit as surprises.

Actual opener, Position Famous, pairs 2000s pop-emo chanting to the most maximalist Avicii-style chords. Ralph Lauren’s instrumental feels wonkier in a more interesting way, with bubbling high-ends and a whistling synth line. It’s maybe the best song on the record, just for how different it is. The most abrasive in-your-face electroclash comes in ELECTRIC, with a freewheeling euphoric bridge right out of a Digitalism cut.

Which isn’t to say the album is mere pastiche – it’s repetitive, but informed. There’s always feeling imbued behind their unapologetic dubstep trappings. It’s beyond indie sleaze, or hyperpop; by being avid disciples of EDM, Frost Children emphasise their predecessors (3OH3, Metro Station) were always showcasing melodic vulnerability in otherwise brash dance pieces. Frost Children continue that exact (risky) project – just on their own terms.

Listen to: Position Famous, Ralph Lauren, WHAT IS FOREVER FOR