Niki and The Dove - Everybody’s Heart Is Broken Now (2016)

iki and the Dove's Malin Dahlström has one of the most fantastic voices in pop. The Gothenburg native has that slightly wry, raspy delivery that distinguishes all the best Scandi singers, as well as Stevie Nicks' pout, Prince's faith, and a way of selling her lyrics as if she's working through her dramas in real time. Skrillex recognized these qualities when he sampled her vocals from Niki's debut single "DJ, Ease My Mind" on his 2014 album Recess, which could have primed the Swedish duo (completed by Gustaf Karlöf) for a move into the EDM big leagues. Their 2012 debut Instinct was halfway there already, as massive as the mountains Dahlström sang about. But on the long-awaited follow-up, they've gone in the opposite direction, filing down the piercing sharp edges of their debut in favor of luscious synths, aqueous funk basslines, and gated drums. It's a painfully familiar pop trope in 2016, but Niki and the Dove aren't shooting for muted cool or ’80s sparkle instead, they have a consummate, melancholic soulful touch, reminiscent of Patrice Rushen or Evelyn "Champagne" King, and a superb way with melody. Dahlström's lyrics are also full of sumptuous details that make their songs feel like living things rather than period pieces the guy with a soul like a Wolf-Rayet star, the "sea fire" of the city, "African violet and neon blue" skies, and in the gorgeous dancehall lilt of "Coconut Kiss," a tropical hideaway so vivid you can practically feel the sea breeze wafting your pineapple-print kaftan. (It's important to note that she's not just the singer, but writes and produces with Karlöf, too.)

Tracklist:

01. So Much It Hurts (3:47)
02. You Stole My Heart Away (4:44)
03. You Want the Sun (3:31)
04. Play It on My Radio (4:33)
05. Scar for Love (4:11)
06. Lost UB (4:05)
07. Coconut Kiss (4:21)
08. Brand New (5:43)
09. Miami Beach (4:15)
10. Pretty Babies (3:59)
11. Everybody Wants to Be You (4:26)
12. Shark City (Tropico X) (4:52)
13. Ode To Dance Floor (7:33)