Slugs Of Love

About

The mating ritual of the leopard slug is pretty spectacular. Suspended from a branch or ledge by a trail of slime, two slugs will unite in an acrobatic dance towards reproduction. It’s a phenomenon that inspired the title track of Little Dragon’s seventh album, and one that feels in keeping with a band who spend this record embellishing everyday emotions with bright imagination and drama. Through their previous LPs, the Swedes have established themselves as intrepid sonic adventurers, drawing ever more styles and genres around their core foundation of electro-pop. And they’re increasingly hard to pin down here, hopping from small-hours R&B and drum ’n’ bass to house and taut post-punk across the first three songs alone. As ever, singer Yukimi Nagano is an emotionally eloquent presence, conjuring an irresistible, visceral tug of yearning on “Frisco.” Across <i>Slugs of Love</i> though, the band’s attention to sound and detail is just as intriguing, and clever sonic flourishes share the work of evoking moods, feelings, and places with Nagano. As she sings of the giddy excitement and anticipation of new love on “Disco Dangerous,” synths spiral breathlessly around her, while a distant rattle of percussion threatens—and underlines—the lovestruck intimacy of “Easy Falling” like a loose floorboard. Static and distortion scratch and mark the edges of the blithe dub groove on “Kenneth” as Nagano feels a friendship descending towards bitterness, and the space, reverberation, and glimmering keys of “Glow” drop you deep into a dreamlike night spent under the stars with Damon Albarn. A tender and remorseful Albarn is one of two guests on the record. The other is J. Cole protégé JID, on “Stay.” If there was once a feeling that Little Dragon was in danger of becoming better known for their collaborations—Gorillaz, Yo-Yo Ma, and SBTRKT are among their former associates—than their own music, this pair of guests only complements and never overshadows the band. Albarn’s voice is gently warped and processed to slip into the cosmic dreaming of “Glow,” while JID plays the committed partner to Nagano in a story of navigating love’s turbulence on “Stay.” <i>Slugs of Love</i> is Little Dragon’s world—and it’s one where the horizons continue to grow.

via Apple Music