The Soothing and Still Supreme Voice of New Wave Electronica: Little Dragon continue to bring unparalleled soulful sounds with ‘Slugs of Love’
Album Review: Slugs of Love by Little Dragon
Little Dragon leave us in no doubt they can still create some of the most special and serene music around with their latest studio album.
The first time I heard ‘Twice’ it really touched me deep down in that lower portion of my torso, reserved only for the most emotional, spiritual, and tender art around. I’m usually a rhythm guy – meaning I need strong rhythm and bass sections in music to truly enjoy it – but despite the fact ‘Twice’ had no drums and fairly limited bass, Yukimi Nagano’s soothing and uber soulful vocals really hit me in that special place. But this was all the way back in 2007 with their debut album, and now it’s 2023 six albums later. To put it simply, it’s almost indisputable that she has one of the most poignant, gifted and frankly underrated voices in music. And their latest album ‘Slugs of Love’ brings nothing less, alongside the usual instrumental talent of course.
On the surface ‘Slugs of Love’ is much like any other Little Dragon album. Perhaps that could be the only criticism; although they are experts of frontiering new sounds and not following the crowd, they haven’t ventured far from their existing catalogue with this piece.
Amöban (Swedish for “the amoeba”) kicks it off in true Little Dragon style, with that cool nonchalant vibe only Yukimi and her bandmates can manifest, complimented by a laid-back whistling creating that chill vibe so familiar with their signature sound. The rest of the album brings pretty much what you’d expect from this soulful outfit – some jazzy elements, and slow ambient renditions with interludes of upbeat discoey energy in Frisco, Slugs of Love, and Disco Dangerous. By far my favourite lively number is Tumbling Dice, Yukimi really sings her heart out, and the rigid beat and house-infused bass line remind me of the 2020 hit Heartbreak by Bonobo and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. This could certainly be utilised as the prelude soundtrack to a vivacious house party.
Then there’s the slow sounds, with the beautiful Easy Falling getting the award for most touching (and thus my favourite) song on the album. You can only marvel at the notes hit in this number, and in combination with the otherworldly instrumentation this track really takes you on a kind of ethereal journey of calm, comfort, and warmness deep down inside. I can’t help but understand lyrics like “Cos I wanna feel something real” and “I wanna feel something true this time” in relation to our increasingly artificial and ever digitised world. In true Little Dragon fashion they manage to blend some experimental sounds (hearing instruments I cannot identify), with fully grounded harmonies and down-to-earth choruses, as a reminder that they will never surrender to pretentiousness or over-inflated egos.
This album is definitely not to be missed, and especially not for Little Dragon fans. It may not bring anything entirely new to their catalogue, but there’s no way I’m ignoring more of their truly thoughtful, underrated, and moving music that can inspire a mindful slow-down from a fast-paced modern lifestyle, while at the same time providing some of that bounce you need on a frivolous Friday evening. They always have, and evidently still can, stand out as really not sounding like anyone else, and that’s certainly our preference here at SoundSight Mag!
