Little Dragon
Season High
(Loma Vista Recordings)
I’d heard Little Dragon here and there on various Spotify playlists and was always curious about them. When I first got this album and was listening to it at work, my co-worker walked in and recognized them immediately: “Oh yeah! They’re playing Outside Lands this year.” (Needless to say, I’m going!) Their dreamy, synth-drenched electro pop is wonderfully layered in a production style that I think the music industry needs right now; there’s a degree of nuance that makes the tracks sound both tight and huge at once. The album opens with “Celebrate,” featuring Swedish guitarist Agge, who was also on their first album. The 808-style drums and breathy vocals are reminiscent of early Prince. “Butterflies” is a mellow, poetic interlude with gorgeous, warm synths and the same transparent sparseness that ties this whole album together so well. “Strobe Light” is an indie electro club kid dancefloor odyssey, weaving four-on-the-floor with catchy, sensual vocals. The dance hits keep coming with “Push,” which could have easily come straight from the 80’s, if only for a modern slickness that makes you want to turn up the bass even more. As someone new to Little Dragon’s synth-driven artistry, I can definitely tell that I’ll be listening to Season High all season long this summer, and probably after Labor Day too.
