Chiaroscuro

You know that feeling you get when you start dating someone and there’s something missing, something that you just can’t quite place? They’re saying all the right things and there’s nothing but checks in the ‘pros’ column, but it’s like trying to light a fire with soaking wet matches; you have the tools, but can’t get a spark. Maybe you’d like them a lot more if you could nail down the problem, but you can’t, so you end up letting it fade out.

That’s the vibe flowing from Chiaroscuro, the second album from Swedish electronic duo, I Break Horses.

All the right noises are there – the beautifully textured synth layers, the soft-but-moody lyrics, the pulsating beats – but ultimately, the equation just doesn’t add up to something memorable.

I Break Horses kick things off with the brooding ‘You Burn’, where it’s instantly evident that they’ve left the guitars from the first record Hearts at home and fully embraced the electronic end of the spectrum.

‘Denial’, with its bouncing beat, is the most instantly likeable track, while ‘Faith’ is a dancefloor-filling toe tapper complete with warped and looping keys.

While it’s not immediately arresting and borders on difficult in places, repeat listens do reap rewards, particularly via second track ‘Ascension’, a slow burn that gradually seeps into your skin, and the seven-minute epic, ‘Medicine Brush’.

It’s a tough game these days, electronic pop, and unfortunately, while they give it their best crack, I Break Horses don’t do enough to race ahead of the field.

Listen to ‘Denial’ from Chiaroscuro here:

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