Little Dragon

スウェーデンのヨーテボリ出身 ソウルフルなエレクトロ・ポップバンド LITTLE DRAGONのデビューアルバム『LITTLE DRAGON』がリプレス!

彼らに魅了され、デーモン・アルバーンなど数々の世界のトップ・ミュージシャンが彼らとコラボレーションをしている。

セルフタイトルの1STアルバムは、控えめなピアノラインとストリングスにシンセが混ざりあい上品なサウンドが詰まった1枚。
収録曲"TWICE"は、全米でヒットしたドラマ グレイズ・アナトミーで使用された。

For years now, the world of music has been too global and interconnected for one to truly be surprised at an outfit such as Little Dragon, but it's no less a wonder that a sound as American as soul and R&B can infuse the music this pervasively of a group of high school buddies from Sweden. Little Dragon is a dynamic self-titled debut that is yet another credible and enchanting Euro-approximation of soul and rhythm & blues. Vocalist Yukimi Nagano displays all the subtle inflections and conspicuous acrobatics that have identified the R&B genre for years, but specifically the more recent paradigms of the Chaka Khans and MJBs, noted easily on the album's highlight "Constant Surprises." Meanwhile, "Wink" is a sexy, synth-heavy club banger that might conjure some of the more poppish acts (Rihanna). But the album -- and group -- don't stop there, thankfully. They give you everything from quaint piano ballads ("Twice") to jazz-drenched pieces, like "After the Rain" where keyboardist Hakan Wirenstrand makes like Herbie Hancock with his sparse and dissonant chording. "Forever" is an ambient number meant for dark lounges with a lot of pheromone activity. It's a genuine album bolstered by the group's collective artistry. It proves, once again, that geography has very little to do with authenticity. ~ Vincent Thomas