Working alongside colossal artists such as Gorrilaz, Little Dragon have more than made a name for themselves since their first release over a decade ago. Their concoction of dreamy electronica and delicate song structuring makes for a sound which is truly something special and has skyrocketed the band to stardom. Now, returning once more with their fifth studio album, Season High, it feels as though Little Dragon have made yet another album that will reinforce their mighty name.

Kicking things off, we are met by ‘Celebrate’, a beautiful reintroduction to the four-piece which immediately forces oriental synth, gently layering up into a synthetic bubble of colour which is full to the brim with a multitude of underlying mechanics. The later part of the track spontaneously erupts into an incredibly detailed, piercing guitar solo which transforms the once transient song into an entirely new piece altogether, jarring and sending a brilliant electrical buzz through the rest of the song. ‘Celebrate’ not only acts as a great foundation for the rest of the record, but definitely sets equally high expectations for what is yet to come.

Vocalist Yukimi Nagano’s tones are sublime throughout their entire album; whilst by no means a powerhouse voice, her notes are executed impossibly delicately with an immense amount of precision. Within both ‘High’ and ‘Don’t Cry’, Yukimi’s higher notes in particular are simply divine and inflict a calming yet somewhat chilling shudder throughout the body through her immense level of vocal control.

There is an extraordinary amount of intricacy and subtly to Season High. Not only does the record hold an enormous amount of electronic experimentation but it feels like an album that, with every single listen, you will discover yet another layer to the beautiful composition behind each song. The variation in stylings is also truly admirable, many tracks hold an ambient, chilled vibe that you can relax to. However, ‘Sweet’ brings an almost 8-bit, video game-style of electronica into the mix, whereas ‘Butterflies’ takes minimalism to an all new level through simple but incredibly powerful background synth and fragile tones. Furthermore, despite being a Swedish band, Yukimi’s Japanese roots are also present throughout the album, as the occasional trickle of Asian tones subtly underlay a number of tracks, adding yet another sinuous factor that meets the ear delightfully.

For me, the highlight of the record has to be ‘Strobe Light’, the track holds such simplicity, yet inflicts such a strong punch that is purely fantastic. As the infectious chorus kicks in, you can feel your head forcibly bouncing along in such a way that few other electronic bands can achieve. The number feels like a completely new wave of electronic music that I can certainly see being a highly influential part in the future of both club and ambient music alike.

For a vague comparison, Season High picks up almost everything I wanted The xx’s new album to deliver but failed to reach. This record is one that you can easily listen to from cover to cover and comes almost completely without fault. It feels as though there is an incredibly deep, hidden meaning to the album, that each listener will indefinitely and intentionally be able to generate their own interpretation of. Season High’s fantastic variation and combination of background, experimental and full frontal club tracks makes for a listen that suits almost any occasion and I can truly see the record doing incredibly well with both the club and indie scenes alike.

Little Dragon have certainly delivered an incredibly strong record with Season High that I’m sure fans both old and new will come to love and cherish. Little Dragon may have already built themselves an incredibly big fanbase, however these Swedes are undoubtedly set to make even bigger waves and Season High will certainly be a core stepping stone on that path.
Ben Walker

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