If you’re not familiar with Fever Ray then there’s a good chance you’re at least familiar with her song used as the intro to Vikings. That’s where I was first introduced to her and what drove me to her fantastic debut album. Unique is the word that comes to mind when I think Fever Ray. There’s just nothing else out there really like her music; it’s a mix of electronic and pop and almost tribal-like chanting/vocals that makes for something both hauntingly beautiful and mesmerizing. Plunge feels decidedly more electronic and mechanical than her self-titled debut, but still retains that rough edge and rawness of her previous work. If her debut felt primordial in nature then this one feels almost post-apocalyptic. Her sound is not easily quantifiable nor is it’s intent, it’s quintessential mood music and just one of those things where you just know it when you hear it. I’m not sure that I enjoyed Plunge as much as her first album, at least not immediately, but there’s no denying the sheer creativity and boundary pushing present that succeeds at evoking emotional response better than almost anything else that comes to mind.
“Blood was our favourite paint
You were my favourite pain
Waiting for your love to happen
Is like waiting for a drug that never kicks in”
Have you heard Plunge? What’d you think about? How would you compare this sound to the sound of Fever Ray? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions to the album.
