The L.K.

There are no surprises in learning the LK are from Malmö, Sweden. The duo of Lindefelt and Fredrik emanate the typical pop songwriting approach Swedes have demonstrated for decades, showering their work with warm melodies, playful arrangements and all sorts of surprises in between. Vs. the Snow finds the LK in line with compatible countrymen like Lo-Fi-Fnk and the Tough Alliance, cutting and pasting together sweetly tempered vocals, vibrating beats and a range of instrumentation both organic and synthetic. The placidity of the LK’s methodology mirrors something more emotionally reserved though, making this a purely low-energy, but still sublime, effort. For the most part, this album thrives in the same IDM-minded pop as Hot Chip and the Postal Service: painstaking attention to detail with every glitch and riff, timid vocals whispered from a diary and a heavy balance of balladry and near-bangers. Sadly though, the LK can’t quite write a hook, leaving even Vs. the Snow’s strongest moments, like the vibrant "Private Life of a Cat,” somewhat hollow in their beauty. Shame.