8 of a possible 10
Consider Britney Spears’ left-field, apologist-indie-kid-creating classic single “Toxic”. It was a smash hit. It was unique but accessible, catchy but not simplistic, complex but uncluttered.
The same could be said for most of Miike Snow‘s work (besides that little smash hit part). They make very complex, disarmingly simple-sounding music. On their excellent 2009 debut (which Pitchfork managed to shit on, shocker), they tossed a number of influences — everything from Daft Punk to Steeley Dan — into a cauldron and came out with a dancey, melodic stew that managed to sound grandiose and economical.
“Devil’s Work”, the first single and still one of the finest songs on the new album, is jam-packed with ideas, but it never feels like they’re jockeying for space. Everything bristles with inspiration but never sounds stilted or over-ambitious.
It’s a lighter but denser album than its predecessor. Where the debut may have lacked in consistency and a unifying vibe, this record delivers in spades. That means the emotional peaks of the first album (“Sylvia” and “Black and Blue” in particular) are matched in intensity not by musical bombast, but by lyrical and thematic consistency. In fact if there’s any song on the first record that foreshadowed the vibe of the second it’s probably closer “Faker”.
While solid throughout, the middle section containing “God Help This Divorce”, “Bavarian #1 (Say You Will)”, and “Pretender” stands out. “God Help This Divorce” is a devastating update of Simon and Garfunkle‘s “The Only Living Boy in New York”, its wry matter-of-factness is as endearing as it is tragic. “Bavarian #1” has so many musical strands it could launch several song-spin-offs, but somehow it works and works perfectly.
More than anything, this album accomplishes something similar to the first; it makes you want to hear more new music from Miike Snow as soon as possible. It also makes you wonder if they’re a band that could at some point crack the top-40. Maybe the world’s just not ready yet, though maybe the world wasn’t ready for “Toxic” either? Ask Miike Snow, two-thirds of the band wrote and produced it.
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