release date: Jan. 17, 2003
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: The Knife
label: Rabid Records - nationality: Sweden
Track highlights: 1. "Heartbeats" (5 / 5) - 2. "Girls' Night Out" - 6. "Listen Now" (4 / 5) - 8. "You Take My Breath Away" - 10. "Is It Medicine" - 12. "Got 2 Let U" - 13. "Behind the Bushes"
2nd studio album by The Knife is like the debut from 2001 released on Rabid Records. Stylistically, the duo has turned up on the tempo and the variation making this an improvement from the interesting but slightly grey, moody, and one-dimensional debut. Instead, this turns out to be a highly original album of electronic pop and synthpop with more energy-laden and dance-friendly compositions.
The duo has had a considerable impact on musical styles in the first decade after the millennium and is highly respected for its innovative and experimental approach, which has much to do with this and the successive album. It's really hard to make comparisons with other artists because the music by The Knife builds on many sources but still turns out as something quite unique. In some tracks I hear Laurie Anderson, The Sugarcubes and Björk, but that's just a few, and never always the case. Swedish artist Jenny Wilson appears as guest vocalist and co-writer of track #8 "You Take My Breath Away", which was released as a single. Aside from that, track #1 brought the band more fame after Swedish artist José González in October released an acoustic cover on his debut album Veneer.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]
