Album Review: Icona Pop – Club Romantech
2 min read
Thinking back on the early 2010’s pop scene, there are a few songs that stand out amongst the rest. One of these modern classics was Icona Pop’s I Love It. Helped by the right-place-right-time feature with Charli XCX, Icona quickly became a household name in the world of EDM and house, as well as with chart listeners. It’s hard to believe that it has been ten years since I Love It hit the airwaves, but now the duo are back, assured that they are stronger than ever, with their sophomore full-length Club Romantech.
Opener Fall In Love begins sounding like an early 2000s disco song, but transitions into a modern aesthetic after the first thirty seconds. This is quickly followed by the Joel Corry song Desire that featured the pair, as well as Rain Radio. It’s a rapid-fire club hit that doesn’t outstay it’s welcome. Yaeger also makes an appearance in the first half of the track list on Shit We Do For Love, another short-lived track that is crying out for a full house remix. Make Up Your Mind weaves in drum and bass influences, while Stockholm At Night slows the beats down and takes a more stargazing approach to the synths and melodies, keeping things airy and loose.
I Want You sees Icona teaming up with fellow electronic music giant Galantis. Together, they make a song that either could claim as their own, but that one of the most enjoyable on the record. Faster sits between the albums closing set of singles, embracing house far more than the other songs on the track list. Its choppy vocals and vague lyrical content make it a perfect song for the dance floor. The triple punch that conclude the album, You’re Free with Ultra Naté, Feels In My Body, and Spa with Sofi Tukker all embrace the elements of house, electronic and techno that lace the album, using them in such a way that they consolidate the themes of the record, and end proceedings on a high.
If Club Romantech is the first you’ve heard of Icona Pop in the decade since that stratospheric release, then you will not be disappointed. The parts of their songwriting that made the duo so enjoyable as still present, and the production is modern and fresh. As a back to back listen, the album can feel a little fatiguing, but overall the songs are energetic, perfectly placed, and masterfully performed. It won’t be long until the majority of these tracks are club staples.
Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
