Reliably consistent with the triennial album release pattern they've maintained since the 2014 arrival of
Nabuma Rubberband
,
Little Dragon
similarly aren't liable to stun or surprise with the songs that make up
Slugs of Love
, their seventh album. They've stated their keenness for changing their methods of collaboration, but what results this time is simply another durable batch of the slightly eccentric R&B-inspired pop for which the group are known, recorded as usual at their Gothenburg studio in mostly self-contained fashion. The featured one-off guests contribute inconspicuously enough so as not to disrupt the energy. A voluble verse from
Spillage Village
/
Dreamville
rapper
JID
gives the feel of a true dialogue with
Yukimi Nagano
on "Stay," in which the two embrace the potential of a developing romance in the face of uncertainty. Standing out more is the capering action of what sounds like a Yamaha DX7, the digital synthesizer that ruled commercial airwaves in the latter half of the '80s. Equally unimposing is
Damon Albarn
on the tranquil trip-out "Glow," returning the favor of
's contributions to
Gorillaz
's
Plastic Beach
. Although he isn't featured,
Durand Bernarr
-- whose
LD
covers no doubt helped diversify the group's audience early on -- picks up a co-writing credit on the highlight "Disco Dangerous," a delightfully dizzied number with one of
Nagano
's wispiest and most charming performances. The singer confesses to being "a neurotic mess" in the opening "Amoeban," and there's sorrow in the purposefully ragged "Kenneth," but letting go, living it up, and delighting in overindulgence win out thematically across the album. The best of the lot might be "Frisco," a discreet declaration of liberation that with equal ease could be transformed into an acoustic jazz ballad or a storming house anthem. ~ Andy Kellman