Review: Little Dragon - Nabuma Rubberband
[Seven Four/Loma Vista; 2014]
Rating: 7.5/10
By Sammi Nelson, Blogs Editor
Key Tracks: “Klapp Klapp,” “Paris,” “Let Go ”
Any album following Little Dragon’s groundbreaking Ritual Union was going to be a challenge, and while Nabuma Rubberband isn’t completely up to par with its predecessor, it proves to be an album well worth the wait. This Swedish neo-soul group has transformed an element of uncertainty into a set of dynamic proportions with its fourth LP.
Lead vocalist Yukimi Nagano stated in an article in Rolling Stone that the band didn’t have any vision for the album when it started working on it last year. She also explained that their hope was to explore different worlds with their huge variety of stylistic traits after they began, which is exactly what they did.
On a trip to South Africa last year, the band discovered one of the album’s influences in kwaito, a type of house music popular in South Africa. Kwaito usually has slower tempos than
other types of house music and also consists of deep bass lines and catchy melodies. These qualities are traceable in Nabuma Rubberband, especially with tracks like “Cat Rider,” which features Nagano’s sultry, soulful vocals accompanied by booming low tones.
“Klapp Klapp” is the first single off Nabuma Rubberband and another great example of the kwaito influence with its rhythmic beats and synthetic tones. The lyrics themselves tell a tale of spirits, dancing and an intermingling of the two that are expressed visually in the music video, which features a woman performing a ritualistic dance to resurrect the dead.
Kwaito isn’t the only factor that influenced the band to slow down on Nabuma. In another article from Rolling Stone Nagano explains that the band was inspired by the slower jams of Janet Jackson. During the winters, Nagano would often walk around the band’s home city of Gothenburg, Sweden, while listening to Jackson’s slow tunes. The Little Dragon vocalist described feeling like she was floating while listening to these songs, which the band implements into the visual aspects fourth album. The album cover, which features a little girl floating in mid-air with a city skyline in the background, represents Nagano’s floating sensation.
Despite the album’s seemingly unimaginative beginnings, Nabuma Rubberband consists of multiple musical and stylistic influences that produce a mesmerizing sound. Like every Little Dragon album, Nabuma features heavy euphoric effects that create somewhat of a trancelike vibe in the sound. While Nabuma undeniably sticks to the characteristic style of Little Dragon, the album has several unique qualities that sets itself apart from the band’s previous albums.
