Little Dragon has quickly made its way into one of my new favorite bands. The Swedish quartet brings a funky RnB sound to pop dance music in their newest EP Opening The Door. Little Dragon has always had a strong foundation in the electronic scene, but in their newer projects, they are exploring more and more outside genres for influence. They are more commonly known for their work on The Gorillaz album Plastic Beach, as well as for joining them on three of their tours. Opening the door consists of 3 songs with Frisco as their lead single. I think that separately the songs have their own distinct sound, yet together they tell a beautiful story about “being brave and moving into the unknown”.
The opening song on the EP is Stay featuring Atlanta rapper JID. This song has the most RnB influence with the heavy baseline and crisp percussion. Lead vocalist and percussionist of Little Dragon, Yukimi Nagano sings about convincing her partner to stay in their relationship with a sense of hope. At around 2 minutes there is a shift in the music, ditching the percussion almost entirely and softening the intensity of the overall sound to welcome JID’s lush vocals. JID also begs his partner to stay however, his lyrics invoke a sense of desperation, differing from Naganos quite a bit. The artist’s different vocals balance each other in natural harmony, Nagano’s ethereal sound and JID velvety sound are truly a match made in heaven.
The next song on the EP is Frisco and my personal favorite. This song is closest to their original electronic house style, which makes sense seeing that this is the only song on the EP without a feature. This song explores the idea of moving on from the relationship, but still with a sense of longing. The band mentions this song reflects “Renewal, letting out your full potential, and moving with the change and life”. Frisco is an upbeat, feel-good, electro-groove song that has overall warm sounds and is a natural progression from the previous song Stay.
Finally, the EP closes with Peace featuring Stefan Sandberg, a fellow Sweden native. The best way to describe the sound of this sound would be a breath of fresh air, if there was a sound that sounded like peace it would be this song. The intro lasts for over a minute and it consists of tribal-inspired didgerdoos, flutes, and chimes, accented with harmonies, birds chirping, and vocal sounds in the background. Her lyrics follow in Frisco’s footsteps, opening up to peace and the possibility of light. These elements come together to create a song that captures the essence of the EP while still adding variation.
Each of the song’s individual sounds contribute to the EP’s message of “endless possibilities and embracing uncertainty”. The progressions of Little Dragon’s discography show their own journey and how they take their musical inspirations into their own distinct sound. When the band first came together during the 90s, they would play records from De La Sol, A Tribe Called Quest, and Alice Coltrane. I think it’s fascinating to hear how these artists continue to influence their music today. This EP is a quick listen with an engaging story and sound that is well worth your time.
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