Liima assembled their first album II during a series of artistic residencies where they would improvise new material in front of a live audience, and the end result is a tightly layered piece of electronica, albeit one slightly darker and more sombre than those initial live recordings.
Driven by the eclectic percussion of Tatu Rönkkö, II functions best when Liima hit a complex and melancholic groove, but they sometimes lose their edge in uninspired vocals and chords. Take, for example, their lead single ‘Amerika’. It starts off as a minimalistic headbanger, with a pulsating reverberation propelling it forward, only for lead singer Casper Clausen to rob the song of its momentum with his sonorous lament. The music takes a back seat to Clausen’s voice, and in this case he shouldn’t be driving.
However, in ‘You Stayed In Touch With The Wrong Guy’, the band’s haunting vocal harmonies soar over the rippling synth, building into a bittersweet crescendo. After a moment’s silence, Liima rev back into gear and they build into another climax that concludes once again with a staggering effect.
When II maintains the rawness of the improvisation from which it was born, the album succeeds, but its willingness to rest on its laurels makes this a flawed gem of experimental electronica rather than an all out success.
BY JAMES ROSS
