Grasping onto the success generated by Ritual Union, Little Dragon continue their synth-storm with Little Man this month. Lifted from album number three, the single sees the underground electronica giants continue to grow up from a tiny firedrake to a mighty fire-breathing beast.
Little Man achieves the remarkable knack of possessing the soul and substance of dance tracks from the nineties whilst intimidating the listener with harsh, brooding lyrics straight from the cyberworld of the 21st century and beyond. The single feels exposed and at times can be quite empty, but this is far from a bad thing, as it allows the drum machine and basic sounds to sound more impressive and INTERESTING – we don’t always need a million billion squillion layers and added effects – sometimes a few notes and some passion will suffice. The chorus and bridge keep the listener interested despite the melancholic mood not budging, and the trailing, forlorn abrupt end panders to no-one. The result is a wonderfully refreshing track that sounds like Kelis in the real-world.
The single is the perfect way for Little Dragon to scorch the feet of boring and bland synthesiser music and hopefully propel the band from their inexplicably little-known status to dancefloor regulars.
Little Man by Little Dragon is released on 30/10/11
[rating=4]
