Swedish electronic band, Little Dragon, released their third studio album called Ritual Union on July 25, 2011. It was mastered and produced on Peacefrog Records. The album debuted #22 on the UK Album Chart and #78 on the US Billboard 200 chart; although this is their highest rating album to date.

Little Dragon was formed in 1996 in Gothenburg. It consists of Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano, Erik Bodin on drums, Fredrik Källgren Wallin on the bass, and Håkan Wirenstrand on keyboards. The band’s name was inspired by the nickname Nagano received due to the fuming little tantrums she would have whilst recording in the studio in the early days of their band. Although since then the band has grown into something quite impressive and the tantrums have subsided according to Nagano.

The album’s opening track “Ritual Union” sets a nice electro-pop beat that can be heard throughout the album. The vocals are clearly evident something that most electronic music seems to lack these days. The message of the song definitely fits well with their album cover which is a series of newly married couples that are rumoured to be family members of the band.

“Little Man” picks up a funkier beat highlighted by the keyboard work by Wirenstrand. Again the vocals are beautifully done by Nagano; she is definitely talented as a singer and she really adds a nice touch to the vibes of the track.

The third track “Brush The Heat” is more techno than the previous tracks. The instrumentals are well balanced overall which demonstrates how talented Little Dragon is in terms of mastering a track together. The song has a nice mellow percussion sound that is something not too often heard in their music.

The album has an interesting vibe in “Shuffle A Dream.” It opens in a somewhat Japanese-like electronic sound and swings into a more conventional electronic sound. It was a track that took a few listens for me to truly appreciate it.

“Please Turn” has a solid drum beat which is nice to hear because that is something that has been slightly lacking until this point on their new album. Again the vocals are wonderfully done. The electronic keyboard work is another great feature in this one. It is awesome how they try to incorporate each member’s skill in their music; it shows that they are a well-balanced band.

The track “Crystalfilm” was my least favourite on the album because it had a very slow start which is a turnoff for my taste in electronic beats; I want to feel the vibe and energy right from the start. The lyrics also didn’t impress me as much as previous songs. Overall I think the album could have done without this track.

Luckily Little Dragon was able to regain my interest with “Precious.” The bass line is solid and the vocals provide an upbeat message about life being so precious. It definitely had my foot tapping to the beat as I wrote the review. The keyboard work is another highlight to listen for throughout this track.

“Nightlife” has a very odd electronic sound to it, but for some strange reason it works well. This is a track that will most likely be used by club DJ’s in their remixes because it has a solid beat and has potential to be blended well with other hip music. “When I Go Out” is another great track that I hope will be used in the clubs because it has the same club-vibe.

“Summertearz” opens again with some stellar keyboard work followed by a solid drum beat. The lyrics aren’t the best that I have heard from Nagano because her tone seems to mellow compared to previous tracks on the album.

The album ends on a fun, upbeat electronic vibe with “Seconds.” It is different sounding than the rest but still meshes well with the other tracks. It is a nice way to end the album because it leaves you in a happy kind of mood. The lyrics’ message promotes the same message about life being important and to not take anything for granted.

Overall this is a nice creation from Little Dragon, it highlights all the great talents of the band and I was left quite impressed. Although, it wasn’t quite as good as their first album in 2007 it still merits a solid 7 out of 10. Cannot wait to hear another album from these guys and gal!

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