V - Coloured Vinyl

Swedish duo jj return with their new long player 'V'. Tracks like the gorgeously understated 'Be Here Now' and subtle strings of 'When I Need You' float into clarity, coming together from vaporous beginnings. The latter number is one of several on 'V' that showcase how Kastlander has grown as a vocalist. Hers is no indiscernible mumble, no vulnerable presence set to music that fizzes like a beachside cocktail on 'Fagelsangen' and soars on digital wings on 'All White Everything'; rather, it's a mix-spearing confirmation that, whatever the bruised heart or open sexuality behind the lyrics, she's intent on connecting without compromise. Words are crisp, intonation perfect. There's still a hard thud on occasion, too: 'Hold Me' opens with lean-flavoured raps, before twisting into a stained-glass confessional of absolute gravity, and 'All Ways, Always' packs substantial swagger beside its rock riffs.