It's been four years since Sweden's Little Dragon appeared on the scene proving that vocalist Yukimi Nagano was more than a one-off vocalist for projects by Koop and Swell Sessions. When Little Dragon released its eponymous debut in 2007 it featured some serious rhythmic and vocal style changes. This time out Yukimi was more vocally in line with Erykah Badu than Astrud Gilberto and tracks were a melange of downtempo/ hip hop with electronic flourishes.
On "Machine Dreams" those lo-fi sound effects are more prominent. This time lo-fi combines with electro-synth and new wave sounds. It seems like a completely different approach but if you listen to tracks from the debut like "Forever", "Test" and "A Place to Belong" the beginnings of this direction are there. Yukimi's vocals are less acrobatic and more in line with the electronic drones that accompany her. While much of the delivery is at times monotone she knows when to add the right amount of vibrato. It's a successful balancing act that balances all the 80's influences and electronic sheen that could sound soul-less on their own. Some songs reference Malcom McLauren, Human League, and Yaz. Regardless of the influence, tracks like the meditative and percussively sexy "Thunder Love" and "Feather" are more than odes to the 80s. They are a re-assembling of and re-defining of them. It was no coincidence that Gorillaz front man Damon Albarn pulled them in for two tracks on 2010's Plastic Beach. The two tracks that feature LD are some of the most affecting and yet detached songs on that long player. It's also evident how much "Plastic Beach" bares the mark of "Machine Dreams".
On "Machine Dreams" those lo-fi sound effects are more prominent. This time lo-fi combines with electro-synth and new wave sounds. It seems like a completely different approach but if you listen to tracks from the debut like "Forever", "Test" and "A Place to Belong" the beginnings of this direction are there. Yukimi's vocals are less acrobatic and more in line with the electronic drones that accompany her. While much of the delivery is at times monotone she knows when to add the right amount of vibrato. It's a successful balancing act that balances all the 80's influences and electronic sheen that could sound soul-less on their own. Some songs reference Malcom McLauren, Human League, and Yaz. Regardless of the influence, tracks like the meditative and percussively sexy "Thunder Love" and "Feather" are more than odes to the 80s. They are a re-assembling of and re-defining of them. It was no coincidence that Gorillaz front man Damon Albarn pulled them in for two tracks on 2010's Plastic Beach. The two tracks that feature LD are some of the most affecting and yet detached songs on that long player. It's also evident how much "Plastic Beach" bares the mark of "Machine Dreams".
From the beginning of "Machine Dreams" there's less of an attempt to appropriate American Hip-Hop and R&B and instead pursue a more individualistic sound that gleams with an Asiatic vibe. On the track "New" Asiatic orchestrations are interpreted through synth, reverb and rubbery synth lines. This aural wash ushers in Yukimi's delivery of lyrical stanzas. Elsewhere on "My Step" post disco beats and warbled melodies change tempo and become a completely different song. The marching time rhythm of "Fortune" belies it's melancholic lyrics about moving forward and the downfalls of restlessness and complacency. "No friends wanna stay around. So moving on to a different part of town." Here's hoping Little Dragon continues it's nomadic musical journey with abandon.
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