Like her hairstyle, fiery Swede Robyn's brand of pop is unusual; it has a right hook of club synth thrown in for good measure. In the second installment of her three part
Body Talk series, Robyn returns with a heady mix of cyclical beats and girly vocals.
The single "Hang With Me" is a standout track, and Robyn really showcases her musical ability. For once, her voice is sweet, a liquid elysian tumbling over the steady footsteps of the beat. Yearning vocals flit through the rhythmic electro thud, and you can almost imagine the romance; lots of wandering empty streets by day and underground club-lit trysts by night. "Love Kills" follows with a bang as Robyn's throaty smoke of a voice bounces across the track with the regularity of a jaded cheerleader. The strobe lights are shining behind this one, a dance anthem in the making. Snoop Dogg, the current darling of the pop songstress circuit, collaborates with Robyn in "U Should Know Better" but there are no California Girls in this partnership. Recalling a thudding club in the raw, Robyn's continuous refrain of "U should know better than to f*ck with me" tolls over Snoops whining rap in a deliciously 'inappropriate' for radio manner.
Releasing the second album in the trilogy so soon comes with a price, in the amount of a few unpolished tracks. The maddening refrain in "Include Me Out" only serves to draw attention to the monotone beat, and Robyn's uninspired lyrics are not camouflaged by her usually layered voice (which veers too heavily towards nineties girl group pop, in this song). Lyrics are also a hindrance to the success of "We Dance to the Beat", with generalizations such as "We dance to the beat/of raw talent wasted" and "We dance to the beat/of distorted knowledge" jarring too strongly with the throbbing pulse of the song.
However, the soaring vocals and acoustic elegance of the final track, "Indestructible", are enough to forget these small imperfections, and the rest of the album is disturbingly catchy, with many tunes that will be stuck in your head for days. Clichéd, unusual, a little pop, a little club, who knows what box Robyn really fits into. Give
Body Talk Pt.2 a listen and you'll forget to wonder where she belongs. You'll just be waiting for Part Three. -
lucy florence
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