Little Dragon – New Me, Same Us

Little Dragon, the Gothenburg based four-piece, have become renowned for their chilled neo-soul, dream pop and hugely successful collaborative work. After a three-year hiatus the band return with New Me, Same Us, an album that is unmistakably Little Dragon-esque. Underpinned by Yukimi Nagano’s silky smooth tones, the new release is a melange of chilled beats and soulful harmonies.

Hold On, its uptempo opener, references a break up in the form of breaking free – a new start. Perhaps this is the message that the band are trying to convey: we are still us, but now we are ready to be in the spotlight. The group are arguably best known for a number of successful collaborations – whether that be with Flying Lotus, SBTRKT, Kaytranada or Gorrilaz – with Nagano’s soft, sultry vocal style proving to be particularly adaptable across genres.

However, Little Dragon’s own output has included some stand-out hits, 2011’s Ritual Union being their biggest success to date. New Me, Same Us is the most “albumy” album so far, with the band creating an ambient soundscape within which each track melts soothingly into the next. It works best in its entirety.

The compilation oscillates between mellow shoegazing tunes and upbeat disco grooves, all tied together with Nagano’s lustrous vocals. Obvious standouts New Fiction, Are You Feeling Sad? and Hold On blend abundant percussion seamlessly with electro-pop beats. Arguably, even at its most dancey, the album is in danger of being seen as the kind of music you play inoffensively in the background. However, on further listening, the playful soul of tracks like Where You Belong and Sadness come into the fore.

New Me, Same Us is deserving of the time it might take to grow on you, even if only because of Little Dragon’s status as stalwarts of the electro-pop scene. And given that time is something that is not in short supply at the moment, perhaps we should all give it a go.

Emily Harrison
Photo: Mous Lamrabat

is released on 1^st January 1970. For further information or to order the album visit Little Dragon – New Me, Same Us’s website here.

Watch the video for Are You Feeling Sad? here: