Album Review: Club 8 – Pleasure
2 min read
Producer/songwriter Johan Angergård and singer Karolina Komstedt have been making music as Club 8 since they were teens. From the mid-90s their sound has evolved from Bossa Nova right through to electronic. Originally from Sweden, the Club 8 have made waves internationally with hits like Missing You. Now the pair are back with their latest album Pleasure; a record about love, sex and jealousy.
A wonderful aspect of the album is the way that Karolina’s subtle vocal blends with Johan’s dense arrangements. Komstedt’s breathiness competes with the synths and persistent beat in Late Nights 1; combining two different approaches really works for this track. Love Dies is an interesting choice as the lead single from an electronic album; usually you would expect something upbeat and catchy, but it’s an airy track dedicated to romance that inevitably wilts.
The production of the album isn’t overdone; it’s nice to be able to take in the music, the lyrics…the whole package. There’s a story told in Hush where the protagonist’s life is falling apart, the emotions felt successfully expressed in the arrangement. Upbeat moments from tracks like Movement breathe a little extra life into Pleasure to liven up the mood.
Pleasure is a short and sweet record but if it had been any longer it may have lost its touch. Club 8 know exactly what they want from their music which has been shown over the years with the band’s genre swaps and confident experimentation. Here they have written an electronic album with production so subtle and precise that it allows listeners to really embrace it. Pleasure doesn’t need the over-the-top production that mainstream electronic music favours. In their humble approach you can hold these songs close.
