so what's the album like then
― t_g, Monday, 12 January 2009 17:09 (fifteen years ago) link
More beats than you would expect from those samples, but not as dancey as the knife - the single is a pretty good representation, I'd say.
― StanM, Monday, 12 January 2009 17:14 (fifteen years ago) link
is it the handle or the blade?
/dadjoek
― some dude, Monday, 12 January 2009 17:15 (fifteen years ago) link
this is pretty fuckin epic.
― cutty, Wednesday, 14 January 2009 01:18 (fifteen years ago) link
Aye, it is.
― StanM, Wednesday, 14 January 2009 07:29 (fifteen years ago) link
Fantastic record. Slim odds anything will top it for me. So I guess I can just ignore the rest of 2009; that was fast. . .
Artists like this who're drawing from a deep musical well but don't come across as especially "indebted to" or even influenced by particular musical heroes/movements/etc. always impress me. They remind me it's possible neither to rehash nor attempt to reinvent the wheel, if your songwriting and sense for production is strong enough. I'm not saying I even dislike things that wear their influences on their sleeves--a well-done revival isn't an oxymoron to me (like Glass Candy, for example). The Portishead album from 2008 almost had that feeling, but occasionally you could really trainspot a "source" on a particular track. Unless you're just convinced any woman with a slightly odd voice and a trans-European accent sounds like Bjork, The Knife and now this just begin to transcend.
― Soundslike, Wednesday, 14 January 2009 14:17 (fifteen years ago) link
obviously the brother is not a necessary element of the knife. did karin dreijer do the music?
― cutty, Wednesday, 14 January 2009 14:47 (fifteen years ago) link
what i mean to say is that this may as well be a knife album. karin is the one who sends chills down my spine.
What a divine january surprise this is !
― Snowballing, Wednesday, 14 January 2009 14:48 (fifteen years ago) link
this is way awesome. My sexist assumptions that Karin was just responsible for the vocals and Olof did the snyths, beats and programming seems to have been way off. Drum programming seems a bit simpler, but maybe just a stylistic choice. Music is as atmospheric as any Knife stuff. Track 2 reminded me slightly of Studio!
― Women can be captains too, you know? (jim), Wednesday, 14 January 2009 15:22 (fifteen years ago) link
probably just the guitar, but whatever.
Digging the pan pipes on "Keep The Streets Empty For Me"
― Number None, Wednesday, 14 January 2009 17:44 (fifteen years ago) link
haha one time i was watching that horrible terrible indie video show on the nyc channel and they were playing videos then asking school children what they thought - one kid said abt the knife "is this real music"
― ice cr?m, Wednesday, 14 January 2009 17:49 (fifteen years ago) link
haven't put the cd on yet but the single is quite something.
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 14 January 2009 17:59 (fifteen years ago) link
Artists like this who're drawing from a deep musical well but don't come across as especially "indebted to" or even influenced by particular musical heroes/movements/etc. always impress me
i agree - so many try to give this impression but there are so few who genuinely do seem to be complete one-offs, and the knife (or maybe karin dreijer) definitely fit.
re: production, it seems half of it is by christoffer berg and half by van rivers & subliminal kid (haven't heard those names before but berg apparently mixed the knife's work).
oh and since silent shout karin had her second child.
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 14 January 2009 18:03 (fifteen years ago) link
here's a myspace for 'the subliminal kid' profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=19900707 (can't listen, i'm at work)
was nervous, because uh http://www.djspooky.com/
― goole, Wednesday, 14 January 2009 18:12 (fifteen years ago) link
Fuck Buttons remix of If I Had A Heart
http://putonyoureargoggles.blogspot.com/2009/01/fever-rayfuck-buttons.html
― StanM, Wednesday, 14 January 2009 19:42 (fifteen years ago) link
I am actually getting really psyched for this.
― the ref (ed hochuli ha ha) (call all destroyer), Wednesday, 14 January 2009 21:48 (fifteen years ago) link
This is pretty awesome. It excised all the stuff I didn't like about the Knife, so I actually like it.
― Mordy, Thursday, 15 January 2009 04:57 (fifteen years ago) link
i've listened once through, not closely enough, but i enjoyed it a lot. to me the thing that seemed to be lacking compared to the knife was something about the sound design maybe? but the basic songwriting was really really great.
― vergangenheitsbewaeltigung (later arpeggiator), Thursday, 15 January 2009 05:02 (fifteen years ago) link
"who're"
― Cocktor Dassantino (k3vin k.), Thursday, 15 January 2009 06:02 (fifteen years ago) link
Dont know about the music, but the video for 'if i had a heart' is amazing:
― Moka, Thursday, 15 January 2009 06:35 (fifteen years ago) link
Wish she did a video for every song on the album, then I might appreciate bit more what she's doing in there.
― Moka, Thursday, 15 January 2009 06:36 (fifteen years ago) link
The album's sound made me remember Bel Canto's debut album, can't exactly put my finger on what it is
― StanM, Thursday, 15 January 2009 11:14 (fifteen years ago) link
so far I am liking this much better than The Knife (who always sounded a bit cheesy to me)
― baaderonixx, Thursday, 15 January 2009 11:20 (fifteen years ago) link
this album is affecting me in kate bush-like proportions
some songs could be on the dreaming
― cutty, Thursday, 15 January 2009 14:47 (fifteen years ago) link
that's exactly what i thought! and i never really listened to the knife.
― Tracy Michael Jordan Catalano (Jordan), Thursday, 15 January 2009 15:09 (fifteen years ago) link
don't enjoy this as much as the knife, and as said above feel there's something lacking possible sound design or whatever (there's not much automation going on). Also possibly a bit more monothematic than the Knife's albums.
― Women can be captains too, you know? (jim), Thursday, 15 January 2009 15:11 (fifteen years ago) link
but still awesome.
less arpeggios than silent shout, less pop than deep cuts
― cutty, Thursday, 15 January 2009 15:15 (fifteen years ago) link
hooray/about time.. it's been three years since silent shout!
― poortheatre, Thursday, 15 January 2009 15:17 (fifteen years ago) link
― poortheatre
fuck sake time flies.
― Women can be captains too, you know? (jim), Thursday, 15 January 2009 15:20 (fifteen years ago) link
Damn this is good. Growing on me too, still
― StanM, Friday, 16 January 2009 09:05 (fifteen years ago) link
I'm pretty sure this is better than everything I heard last year (with, like, maybe the exception of the-dream, but i'm pretty sure this is even better than that album). So many textures and moods and hooks and sounds. I love her.
― Someone Still Loves You Evan and Jaron (Tape Store), Friday, 16 January 2009 17:55 (fifteen years ago) link
Kate Bush yes
listened again, and while a lot of it was really, really great, i still found it to be a little flat overall. certain parts (mostly vocals) risk becoming overused and gimmicky on this album, whereas i never would've thought that about the knife. that's not to say i don't enjoy it, i think i haven't listened to it in the right mood yet, so i don't wanna be too hard on it.
― vergangenheitsbewaeltigung (later arpeggiator), Friday, 16 January 2009 18:04 (fifteen years ago) link
I'm really, really enjoying this album. It sounds so lush, so rich in mood and atmosphere.
I think I can see why later aprpeggiator finds it "a little flat", or 'samey', perhaps, but right now that's just a huge plus for me. The sound just flows and flows, and there are no musical 'thorns' that suddenly break the spell.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Monday, 19 January 2009 11:04 (fifteen years ago) link
Yeah, I hear "unified" here, not "same-y"
― Soundslike, Monday, 19 January 2009 14:23 (fifteen years ago) link
man, this is h u g e
i am loving more and more, esp. the final 'keep the streets'/'coconut' couplet
― poortheatre, Tuesday, 20 January 2009 00:19 (fifteen years ago) link
listened to this again and am enjoying it a lot more after i stopped comparing it to the knife
― vergangenheitsbewaeltigung (later arpeggiator), Tuesday, 20 January 2009 04:15 (fifteen years ago) link
the guitar on this is really nice
― caek, Tuesday, 20 January 2009 11:44 (fifteen years ago) link
first song is amazing. enjoying it so far (halfway through)
― 6335, Tuesday, 20 January 2009 19:08 (fifteen years ago) link
i think coconut is my favorite song on this right now
― vergangenheitsbewaeltigung (later arpeggiator), Tuesday, 20 January 2009 22:28 (fifteen years ago) link
this is truly dope
― shook pwns (omar little), Tuesday, 20 January 2009 22:34 (fifteen years ago) link
i'm not hearing any differences between a Knife album and this, which isn't a bad thing necessarily. not sure why they felt the need to use a different name for this. great album though. i'm on my 2nd time through and haven't heard a bad track yet.
― brotherlovesdub, Tuesday, 20 January 2009 22:40 (fifteen years ago) link
same reason imagine isn't credited to the beatles, i imagine.
― caek, Tuesday, 20 January 2009 22:45 (fifteen years ago) link
so massive
― dugong.jpg (jabba hands), Tuesday, 20 January 2009 22:57 (fifteen years ago) link
so she did the music to this without help from her brother or whoever does the music for The Knife? this sounds exactly like the Knife.
― brotherlovesdub, Tuesday, 20 January 2009 23:08 (fifteen years ago) link
i guess it's like Peter Hook w/ Monaco doing What Do You Want From Me and Shine, which both sound just like New Order songs. oh well, doesn't matter who did the music, this album is fantastic.
― brotherlovesdub, Tuesday, 20 January 2009 23:10 (fifteen years ago) link
maybe she did the music - women can create music beyond singing yknow
― s1ocki, Tuesday, 20 January 2009 23:12 (fifteen years ago) link
really looking forward to hearing what the nine inch nails collab sounds like
― ufo, Thursday, 10 November 2022 19:25 (one year ago) link
I really like both singles so far. Excited for this record but yeah, March seems like an eternity from now
― Paul Ponzi, Thursday, 10 November 2022 19:39 (one year ago) link
Vessel is such a great fit for Fever Ray (as is Trent of course! Listen to "That's What I Get" and "We Share our Mother's Health" back to back).
"What They Call Us" is good (and as someone mentioned upthread, more album track than single) but nothing exciting. "Carbon Dioxide", OTOH, is phenomenal.
― Doctor Madame Frances Experimento, LLC", Thursday, 10 November 2022 19:47 (one year ago) link
"kandy" is pretty nice
― ufo, Wednesday, 25 January 2023 16:21 (one year ago) link
I love it, sounds like an update to old Knife sound. Caribbean goth vibe.
So far I think this album’s singles are very promising. I wasn’t all in on her previous album but this one is reeling me back in.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 25 January 2023 16:33 (one year ago) link
it's my favourite of these new ones but man i wish there was a chorus
― sean gramophone, Wednesday, 25 January 2023 16:35 (one year ago) link
As a solo artist She’s on/off about doing chorus in her songs no? I’m trying to think about some of the songs on the s/t and I think most of them set a mood and stay fixed without a clear chorus
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 25 January 2023 16:45 (one year ago) link
there is a chorus it's just not much of a shift
it really picks up right where silent shout left off (even uses one of the same synths according to the press release), i'm really glad they're working with olof again (if only it was for the full album though)
i didn't like plunge much at all but this album is shaping up much better
― ufo, Wednesday, 25 January 2023 17:09 (one year ago) link
I was not aware of their pronouns sorry, had no idea Olof is back, excited to hear this one.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 25 January 2023 17:39 (one year ago) link
s/t has some amazing choruses but I can't imagine we're ever getting an album like that again
― death generator (lukas), Wednesday, 25 January 2023 17:44 (one year ago) link
yeah olof produced "kandy", "what they call us" and two other tracks on the album
― ufo, Wednesday, 25 January 2023 17:53 (one year ago) link
Love this, not sure why they break up the Knife and then release something like this?
― Bee OK, Thursday, 26 January 2023 02:16 (one year ago) link
S/t is a 10/10 so I doubt they’ll ever release something on that level ever again.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 26 January 2023 02:58 (one year ago) link
it's an extremely knife move to reunite in all but name for a bunch of ostensibly solo tracks
i still kinda feel like they never fully explored their potential, as good as their output was, i'm very glad to have them back in whatever capacity
― ufo, Thursday, 26 January 2023 12:26 (one year ago) link
kandy is super great, very knife-y and compulsively replayable
― POLIZISTEN VERSINKEN IM SCHLAMM (forksclovetofu), Friday, 27 January 2023 19:19 (one year ago) link
For the record I do think Kandy has a chorus:
She laid me down and whisperedAll girls want kandyCan you bring me backAll girls want kandy
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 27 January 2023 19:34 (one year ago) link
album is pretty good, big step up from plunge
first four tracks make quite a nice little knife ep
― ufo, Friday, 10 March 2023 02:23 (one year ago) link
Yes! Not as good as album 1, but waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than album 2.
― Tsar Bombadil (James Morrison), Friday, 10 March 2023 03:26 (one year ago) link
LOVE it
― Evan, Friday, 10 March 2023 15:05 (one year ago) link
I'm way into it, too
― Paul Ponzi, Friday, 10 March 2023 15:09 (one year ago) link
Good car music.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 10 March 2023 15:11 (one year ago) link
I think it's more "fun" than album one? But I need to revisit
― Evan, Friday, 10 March 2023 15:21 (one year ago) link
The two non-single Olof tracks being better than the singles is a really nice surprise.
I think it's hard to compare hearing this fresh to 14 years of the self-titled, but I think the quality gap is pretty minimal. Certainly, there's no duds.
― Doctor Madame Frances Experimento, LLC", Friday, 10 March 2023 15:36 (one year ago) link
I'm loving the new album front to back — and Plunge was underrrated!
― I can't tell if he's trolling or not (ilxor), Friday, 10 March 2023 16:33 (one year ago) link
This is sounding great. I hate that album cover though, the singles artwork was great, don’t get why they chose a photo of riff raff for the album cover.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 10 March 2023 16:36 (one year ago) link
agree about the cover right down to my first thought being "hey, it's Riff Raff"
also agree about Plunge being underrated (though I think I prefer the remixes)
― Paul Ponzi, Friday, 10 March 2023 18:35 (one year ago) link
Cover, visuals and “persona” are just urgh
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Friday, 10 March 2023 21:10 (one year ago) link
I think she's going for making you uncomfortable, no?
― Soundslike, Saturday, 11 March 2023 02:24 (one year ago) link
Sorry, I forgot sincerely they use they.
It’s working, just not in any way I can see the point of.
― Tsar Bombadil (James Morrison), Saturday, 11 March 2023 03:30 (one year ago) link
No way I’d go see them live if that’s how they perform. Mission accomplished in scaring off the squares, I guess
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Saturday, 11 March 2023 09:47 (one year ago) link
No way you’d go see them live if what’s how they perform?
― least said, sergio mendes (sic), Saturday, 11 March 2023 11:52 (one year ago) link
Glad they're back, love the album after a few listens, love the unsettling visuals (this has always been the case with them, hasn't it?)
I liked Plunge, though, and the live show was so fun, a ridiculous queer dance party. I guess her horny baby aesthetic back then might have scared off some squares indeed, lol
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Saturday, 11 March 2023 17:24 (one year ago) link
THIS IS FOR ZACHARRRRRRIUS
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Saturday, 11 March 2023 17:28 (one year ago) link
Got my numbered vinyl copy - #100!
― Evan, Saturday, 11 March 2023 21:50 (one year ago) link
"shiver" is a hell of a song, sheesh
― avatár the way of watár (voodoo chili), Wednesday, 15 March 2023 16:16 (one year ago) link
Finally figured out what "Shiver" reminded me of:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-2jXC6rUIc
― Doctor Madame Frances Experimento, LLC", Wednesday, 15 March 2023 20:44 (one year ago) link
the costuming and vibe is incredible, and definitely not new. i mean ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymCP6zC_qJU (trigger warning: Cronenbergian shit)
― Vapor waif (uptown churl), Wednesday, 15 March 2023 21:28 (one year ago) link
The first time I saw Fever Ray live was one of the coolest shows I've ever seen. The last time I saw the Knife was one of my least favorite shows. Was considering seeing Fever Ray this weekend, but I suspect it will be closer to the latter in terms of themes and visuals than the former. Which, granted, was mostly just blurry costumed shapes cloaked in smoke, plus lasers, but it was super effective.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 12:26 (ten months ago) link
Phew, their set tonight in Oakland was quite incredible. Having not seen Karin Dreijer in any context live before I can't compare, but that was just a stellar presentation and the audience was deeply into it.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 11 May 2023 06:58 (ten months ago) link
I had the same experience a month ago in Amsterdam - wonderful costumes, amazing, sensual, and positive energy, helped by a continuous positive feedback loop between crowd and performers. Saw them in 2009 on the tour supporting the debut, a very memorable gig but far more gloomy and gothy, presentation wise. Though I think one of the standing lamps of that tour was also part of the current decor :-)
― willem, Friday, 12 May 2023 12:04 (ten months ago) link
Awesome in Pasadena
― Enumerated funks of Walsh, Joe. (Sufjan Grafton), Sunday, 14 May 2023 00:39 (ten months ago) link
god, Even It Out fucking rips live. I can't turn the volume up loud enough on the album track to relive it.
― Enumerated funks of Walsh, Joe. (Sufjan Grafton), Sunday, 14 May 2023 16:02 (ten months ago) link
Wish I'd seen em, so great live both times on the tours for the prior two albums.
― omar little, Sunday, 14 May 2023 17:00 (ten months ago) link
Watching the Glastonbury set, loving this version of 'When I Grow Up'
― nashwan, Friday, 23 June 2023 22:42 (nine months ago) link