Little Dragon – New Me, Same Us
New Me, Same Us finds its vigour in the sweet spot between pure pop and Little Dragon’s more adventurous tendencies
'Time has changed us so in every way', Yukimi Nagano sings on Hold On, the opening track to Little Dragon’s new album. It’s a statement that could be applied to the band. From being Grammy-nominated and collaborating with everyone from SBTRKT to Gorillaz, the four-piece have come far from their roots in Gothenburg.
For album six, they aim for a musical transition, bringing their instruments to the forefront. That’s not to say that New Me, Same Us is a complete departure from their recent outings; it still retains the band’s take on left-field pop and synths aren’t on the backburner. The result feels less restrained than its predecessor, yet is still prone to falling into a somewhat lethargic mid-tempo. On Hold On they aim to up the tempo but other tracks lack that punch.
<a href="http://littledragon.bandcamp.com/album/new-me-same-us" data-mce-href="http://littledragon.bandcamp.com/album/new-me-same-us">New Me, Same Us by Little Dragon</a>
New Me, Same Us finds its vigour in the sweet spot between pure pop and the band’s more adventurous tendencies. When an emotionally-charged, jazz-inspired piano climax cuts through the otherwise smooth veneer of New Fiction or when Where You Belong leans fully into a part-funk, part-R'n'B groove, the band really hit their stride. It’s just a shame there are some stumbles on the way.
Listen to: New Fiction