© Seher Sikandar with CCLicense
The Swedish band Little Dragon are a bit of an enigma. From their broody blend of r&b and electronica to their haunted and mysterious lyrics, they seem to flourish in a luscious atmosphere of ambiguity. The songs have a tense, almost austere, form, all possessing lovely hooks delivered quietly in an even and understated tone with equally restrained and moody instrumentation. No one else sounds quite like Little Dragon. Lovely.
Video via Erik Bodin on YouTube.
Lyrics can be found here.
The band formed in 1996, when Yukimi Nagano (vocals/percussion), Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Källgren Wallin (bass) and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards) were attending high school together in Gothenburg, but wouldn’t release an album until 2007, when the self titled Little Dragon arrived. Incidentally, the band derived its name from singer Yukimi Nagano’s nickname, which she earned for being prone to dramatic outbursts and tantrums in her early years. It continues to be an apt name for a group whose imagination and angst speak in hushed tones, promising a fire of passion and perhaps even insanity just beneath the dreamy, watercolor surface. Machine Dreams (2009) and Ritual Union (2011) followed their first release.
Video via LittleDragonVEVO on YouTube.
Lyrics can be found here.