Riding the line between extremely catchy pop and carving out an identity within the genre, Norway’s Dagny makes some of the most intriguing pop in a minute. With dynamic and often atypical vocal choices across this record, Dagny proves there’s still room to shake things up in the realm of vocal-driven radio pop. Between the 80s influences, “Dancefloor Erotica” plays like a Prince-Lady Gaga collab, all with the fun theatrics you’d expect from both, but also done with punches in spots neither would try. There’s an exciting bounce to the strings, bending vocals and overall Euro-pop-inspired choices all over “C’est La Vie” that sees Dagny merging her very radio-ready productions with her more jagged, atypical and especially with certain vocal timbres, Norwegian sensibilities. There’s pure pop adrenaline and kinetic percussion on “Sweat,” as Dagny is kicking out with a lot of ecstatic ideas and sharp production on this expressive banger. Though things take an airier and cooler approach on “Rain,” Dagny wastes no time amping up the choruses even higher and letting her vocals take on new ethereal qualities, as she uses the space to get weirder and bigger.
With a blend of 90s tone ideas and sounds that feel pulled from video games of the past, Born at Midnite do indie pop like no one else. And while they could easily get away with the power of that freaky palette alone, they go so in-depth on their productions that you’ll wonder how they even started some of these songs in the first place. You’re thrown into a neon daze on “I Haven’t Forgotten You” as the pair blend a kind of sample hip-hop energy with their usual sparkling wash of serene keys and soothing vocals. The direct pop drive of “Wash You Out” taps into that early PlayStation/N64 sound era for an intoxicating trip through time that is so chock-full of tonal ear candy that you’ll want to come back for the aesthetic dreaminess of the track as much as its infectious hooks. The anime party insanity of “Smash” is its own tornado of excitement, blending lo-fi and hyper-pop ideas into such a unique blender that you’ll be wondering how it was done. The shift to the gloomier vibes of “Pt. III” never loses its dance edge, but finds a more startling depth in their sound as they open their range for a deep bass drive and a collaboration that shows just how versatile their sound can be.
Through a blend of folky, twangy and perhaps desert-rock influenced mix with just the right amount of malaise to add depth to it all, Widowspeak have found a smoky niche for their sound. While they still thrive in the sounds they became famous for, this album’s greatest strength is the new, more glowing horizons the band explores, and especially, the dynamics you can hear as they navigate from the more sombre worlds to something bigger. “No Driver” swirls between the emotional highs and lows of the band’s powers, lulling you through the sweet, silky verses almost in pain, and then ripping through a deeply satisfying solo that breaks down the walls holding all these feelings in. The band takes a 90s pop hook turn on the sunny riffs of “If You Change,” and brings out a brighter side of their sound in this sun-blasted and booming pivot of their usual energies. “Soft Cover” blends a sharp riff side with this more upbeat charge, letting all the more growly, southern twang in their sound become a new sharp edge to contend with. Though it ends the record, “Actor” shows the band’s emotional expansion through the lens of a more personal growth to results that feel cathartic, and with such lush, evocative textures to boot. And the touches here that feel like a blend of Angel Olsen and Cate Le Bon together are just divine.
Bringing out that hardy, chunky blues rock sound, Taming Sari are hungry and fiery on “Ghost of a Good Time.” This high the band cherishes and celebrates with glee becomes its own sort of demon here, as it slowly becomes clear that such elated times only bring you down later, and come with enough consequences to make you question why you did it all in the first place. The performances around this story do enough to evoke the kind of debauchery that set all the devastation in motion in the first place. With drums exploding off the walls, and guitars and bass clashing like pyro in their own right, the musical backing is like a fireworks display right down to the damage it left in its wake.
Kehlani brings a power as a singer that is hard to match, and often results in her outdoing herself on her own records. Beyond her passionate deliveries and tales here however, the music isn’t always up to the same monumental task, and can sometimes even fall into predictable territory. While that side of the sound is a bit of a shame, it’s only because there’s so much intensity elsewhere to set the standard so high. There’s a vintage romantic charm to the production on “Folded” that makes its breakup message hit all the harder, as Kehlani runs you through a devastating list of demerits for this soon to be ex lover. Missy Elliot’s appearance does a lot to shake up the beat for the typical Kehlani track, though the vocalist’s waves of harmonies still overpower Elliott’s surprisingly underdeveloped additions on this track. Even when the production is at its most familiar, there’s a tenderness and focus on “Out the Window” that feels like a subtle and sublime addition to this smooth R&B canon, which, while overly familiar, does it so perfectly that you’ll want to just add it to a mix of this specific brand of song to freshen it up. After it gains the right momentum, “Cruise Control” becomes a dazzling display of mesmerizing harmonies and vocal rounds, with Kehlani and company creating a soaring production of endless highs that feel like they’re dancing.
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