An air of Nordic cool pervades Das Body’s ‘True Vulture’. The fast-rising Oslo four-piece slot neatly into a national lineage, one defined by the classy electronica from the likes o Lindstrøm, Casiokids and Röyksopp. Their latest full-length is a similarly sleek but also energetic record, unflappably-confident in its ability to make you get up and dance.
A short (ten tracks) and to the point album, you get the sense that the band intended it to capture a sense of raw, spontaneous energy, evidenced by the inclusion of the self-explanatory ‘You leave no traces (acoustic rehearsal)’. In spite of their synthetic gleam, the tracks always feel like they were recorded by a band band, rather than just a bunch of musicians tinkering for hours at a computer.
The fusion of live and synthetic works extremely well. Live guitars and drums make especially prominent appearances on the urgent ‘You look so pretty when you’re on your knees’ and resplendent ‘Culture’. The latter track is an album highlight; rife with pathos and emotion as well as a joyous chorus.
The more synth-based tracks are no less spirited. ‘Ordah’ is immensely-groovy, full of breathy vocals and monstrous bass lines. Meanwhile, ‘No love will shine on me’ feels like a lost eighties synth-pop classic remixed by Trent Reznor, built out of myriad synth textures that possess tangible weight and heft.
Front and centre of Das Body is frontwoman Ellie Linden. Her flexible and alluring voice dominates ‘True Vulture’, from the aforementioned tour-de-force ‘Ordah’ to the restrained opener ‘Ain’t got nothing for you’ to the unhinged ‘God won’t listen to bad prayers’. She’s got it all, namely the ability to switch between moods and tones with commanding ease.
Fun, lively and often very-sexy, True Vulture’ is a gem of an album that proves that modern synth-pop doesn’t need to be beholden to retro imitations to sound convivial and effortlessly-cool.
8/10
Words: Tom Morgan
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