The hip-hop meets electro-pop trio Blänk release their third album Weary Soul. Touching on topics such as self-destruction, angst, hope, and finally acceptance, the new record is as much uplifting as it is lachrymose, focusing on emotional emancipation and taking control of your own life...

Following on from their first two albums, 'You’ve Never Been to Sápmi' (2009) and 'Only Built For Northern Lights' (2015), Blänk have gone from strength-to-strength as they've evolved with each release.

Weary Soul is still heavily rooted in hip-hop, however it also sees Blänk move into a darker more downbeat atmospheric electro sound, which occasionally takes influence from intermittent soul-infused textures and at times owes itself to a subtle '80s electro-pop inflection.

When I first started playing this album my eyes rolled so far back into my head I thought I'd never see again. Electronic vocals. A personal pet hate of mine. Designed to help give artists that can't sing the pretense of some sort of musical talent. It's so easy to disguise a bad singer when you're changing the pitch electronically all the time.

However this first track really got us off on the wrong foot, as it's followed immediately by 'This Journey' - okay, another track that employs the use of electronic manipulation. but this track made me flip 180 degrees on my digital vocals stance. 'This Journey' is an incredibly hypnotic track and the vocal choices helps to elevate it above the norm. If you listen to the lyrics, you'll also discover that the upbeat tune hides a darker subject matter. The main vocals do, however, on occasion sound like a higher pitched Metal Mickey.

'Lax I Palatset ft. Johan Rensfeldt' is notable as there are some very noticeable '80s synths added into the mix, which made me smile from start to finish.

The album contains 10 tracks (32 min, 03 sec) and represents a rather diverse collection of tunes. If you're an electronic hip-hop fan, then you've just found your new favourite album.

8

Nick Smithson