Little Dragon

'Machine Dreams'

Scando electro quartet exploit secret weapon.

Spin Rating7 of 10

With nods to synth pop, electro, and funk, Sweden's Little Dragon fill their second album with bleeping keyboards and jazzy arpeggios, recalling both Howard Jones and Saint Etienne (with some jittery Hot Chip grooves thrown in). But what sets Machine Dreams apart is frontwoman Yukimi Nagano's alternately yelping and cooing voice. Spinning wryly romantic tales of "Thunder Love" and "Fortune" over eerie melodies and Fairlight synthesizer washes, she's consistently captivating.

By Mosi Reeves

1 Lana Del Rey 'Born to Die'
2 Van Halen 'A Different Kind of Truth'
3 Cloud Nothings 'Attack on Memory'
4 Himanshu 'Nehru Jackets'
5 Imperial Teen 'Feel the Sound'
6 Kathleen Edwards 'Voyageur'
7 Leonard Cohen 'Old Ideas'
8 Skrillex 'Bangarang'
9 First Aid Kit 'The Lion's Roar'
10 Escort 'Escort'

1 Cloud Nothings 'Attack on Memory'
2 Cloud Nothings 'Attack on Memory'
3 Kathleen Edwards 'Voyageur'
4 Leonard Cohen 'Old Ideas'
5 Escort 'Escort'
6 Escort 'Escort'
7 Escort 'Escort'
8 Himanshu 'Nehru Jackets'
9 Imperial Teen 'Feel the Sound'
10 Imperial Teen 'Feel the Sound'

Little Dragon

'Machine Dreams'

Van Halen 'A Different Kind of Truth'

Leonard Cohen 'Old Ideas'

Imperial Teen 'Feel the Sound'

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