US pairing Sylvan Esso released their self-titled debut record in 2014, full of oh-so-quirky electropop seemingly engineered for artisan cafes (unapologetically or inadvertently, it even featured a track called Coffee). Now they’ve followed it up with a second, slightly meatier effort – though you can likely still imagine its riffs melding nicely with the smell of a freshly brewed AeroPress.
Lead single Radio fizzes with Tune-Yards-style energy, as vocalist Amelia Meath – formerly a folk performer – takes a swing at the manufactured music world (“Faking the truth in a new pop song / Don’t you wanna sing along?” she asks). Kick Jump Twist is a slice of irreverent, beepy, minimal pop with a robotic zeal, while Die Young is a more mournful take on the template, underpinned by a brilliant, 80s arcade-game synth line that fades away only to make repeated comebacks. Elsewhere, Sound makes a play for the Japanese House’s ambient soundscapes, but adds little of the duo’s own personality.
As a collection, What’s Now is peppy, confident and a little scathing but, like its title, it feels slightly too open-ended to make a real splash.
