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Nov 16, 2017 Web Exclusive By Matt the Raven

Eight years is a long time to wait between albums, but in the case of Karin Dreijer’s solo project, Fever Ray, it was worth the wait. Half of successful duo The Knife, with brother Olof, and rooted in the same experimental electro pop, Ms. Dreijer’s Fever Ray branches out and explores the darker side of glossy and rhythmic electronic music. Those who liked 2009’s self-titled debut will love Plunge.

Building from the hypnotic electronic foundations on Fever Ray, Plunge ups the ante with tribal beats and shrilling electronic percussives. The layered sonic textures often explore contrasting moods with subtly shifting waves of creative melodies, occasionally bursting out with a frothy and tuneful synth line.

But while the music changes tenor, its Dreijer’s unique and wild vocals that jump out from the speakers and demands attention. Seeming to focus on politics, sex, and the human condition, her often cryptic lyrics are delivered with a guttural intensity and are multi-tracked in an attempt to tame her icy, feral style.

Although Plunge is immediately captivating, thanks to the animated arrangements, it must be listened to multiple times to absorb and appreciate its diverse nature and cinematic scope. The loose song structures allow Fever Ray to experiment with tone and texture, and often build slowly to a jarring wall of bristling beats and tribal percussive stomps that exhibit a dreamy, mysterious flow along the way.

Plunge is a very unique album that can be as melodic and intimate as it can be chilling and alien. After repeated plays, all of these aspects end up being enjoyed since it is apparent that these songs were built with an honest, emotional grit. (www.feverray.com)

Author rating: 7/10