At the end of March, electro-pop act Miike Snow dropped its sophomore album, "Happy to You." Miike Snow has enjoyed growing popularity since the 2009 release of its eponymous debut, making this album one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The trio is comprised of American songwriter Andrew Wyatt and Swedes Christian Karlsson and PontusWinberg. The latter two are more often known as the powerhouse production team Bloodshy and Avant and are responsible for Britney Spears' megahit "Toxic" as well as tracks by artists such as Madonna, Kelis and Jennifer Lopez. "Happy to You" delivers the masterful production, clean melodies and introspective lyrics listeners have come to expect from Miike Snow. The album has some good songs, even a few great ones, but none that emerge with the same kind of immediate accessibility as hits like "Animal" and "Black & Blue" from their first release.
The record clears the gate with the spacey opener, "Enter the Joker's Lair." A jumpy vocal melody parallels a light carnival-esque harpsichord over fluctuating synth. The sounds finally gel with the introduction of the kind of frenetic, polyrhythmic drums that so defined the sound of "Miike Snow." Eventually, strange vocal samples bounce around swirling arpeggios until the listener himself is brought into the funhouse of the Joker's lair. The track creates an atmosphere in keeping with the same sort of nostalgic, fantastical, childish sonic world explored by M83 on "Hurry Up We're Dreaming" (2011).
There seem to be certain recurring instrumental themes throughout "Happy to You." Three of the most successful of the album's 10 tracks are dominated by brassy piano lines that recall early house music. "Devil's Work" boasts a dynamic melody and well-crafted lyrics. With its explosive drum-and-bass beat, "Pretender" is the closest the album comes to outright abandonment of restraint. One of the first singles released, "Paddling Out," is a definite standout. The varied dynamics between the verse and chorus highlight Wyatt's strength as a vocalist, and the chorus boasts a very catchy hook. The use of old-school house piano also puts Miike Snow in step with the current resurgence of throwback sounds in electronic music.
Two other tracks are linked by their use of a pervasive, military march-style snare line. "The Wave" is a slow starter, handicapped by its plodding beat and heavy-handed use of rhyming couplets in the first verses. Eventually, the track improves as the vocals take on effects and a buzzing synth takes over the mix. "Bavarian #1 (Say You Will)" is partially salvaged by its clean chorus and the syrupy drama added by the synthetic strings toward the end of the track, but overall, the song never quite gets off the ground.
These instrumental themes lend a certain continuity of sound to the record, but at the same time, "Happy to You" is missing some of the stylistic variation that made "Miike Snow" such a compelling listen. "Happy to You" also finds the band experimenting with a more limited pallet of sounds. "Vase" is crafted around little more than a steady '80s clap and low, wobbling synth line. Still, the track is strong because it is not simplistic in its minimalism. Each sound is carefully attended to, and the track displays as much harmonic and rhythmic complexity as the more fleshed-out arrangements. A little bit of Phil Collen shines through Andrew Wyatt on this satisfying track.
Another minimal track is the atmospheric collaboration with Swedish singer Lykke Li, "Black Tin Box." Wyatt's washed-out vocals contrast well with Lykke Li's ethereal voice, slowly unfolding the story of vaguely sinister unrequited love. Steel pan drums echo Wyatt's melody, evidence of the growing influence in electronic music of West Indian sounds, often present in tracks by English acts like Jamie xx and Hot Chip.
"Black Tin Box" is a compelling and smart song, but it's ultimately an unsatisfying listen, as are plenty of the songs on "Happy to You." Many of these tracks bubble and stew, continually building in anticipation of some explosive coda that never arrives.
So much of today's electronic music conditions the listener to wait for some sort of epic "drop." The fact that Miike Snow avoids falling into this formula is certainly not a fault. Miike Snow seems to be concerned with creating more subtle and understated tracks that emphasize songwriting over anthemicdanceability. Still, there is something frustrating in the way these songs always pump the brakes before the edge of the cliff. The meticulousness of the production demonstrates that Bloodshy and Avant are much more than capable of delivering the kind of explosive finales that these songs seem to demand. It seems at times that they are holding out on us, always keeping us the edge of our seats while we wait for that magic free-fall of beats.
