The follow-up to 2017's Grammy-nominated
What Now,
Free Love sees
Amelia Meath and
Nick Sanborn deliver another compelling collection of sweetly fractured electronic indie pop. All of
Sylvan Esso's strengths are on display here -- fidgety loops, heartfelt melodies, spectral sound collages, and lyrics that feel both inscrutable and homespun -- but where previous efforts administered fast-acting dopamine hits like "Coffee," "Radio," and "Die Young," the more measured
Free Love reveals its understated splendor over time. Bookended by the lyrics "What if end was begin" and "Play it again," the ten-track set is both elliptical and existential, yet also emotionally substantive. The off-center fluidity that
Meath and
Sanborn have cultivated over the years has reached peak buoyancy, with each beep, boop, and trenchant beat serving to punctuate
Meath's delicate phrasing. The propulsive "Ring" and "Ferris Wheel" are two first-spin gems that will no doubt populate the duo's set list for years to come, but it's the less immediate offerings that yield the biggest dividends. "Rooftop Dancing," with its soft, summery gait and playground ambiance finds the golden-hued sweet spot between melancholy and nostalgia, the skittering "Runaway" evokes the bouncy urban bohemia of
tUnE-yArDs, and the moving closing cut "Make It Easy" proves that a song can be anthemic without aiming for the rafters. Detractors will rightfully point out that
Free Love utilizes the same sonic architecture as its predecessors, but it's a fairly idiosyncratic template and one that
Meath and
Sanborn have shown great skill with over three albums now. Besides, the world always needs more dance music for introverts. ~ James Christopher Monger
