whomadewho: brighter

WhoMadeWho may lack a question mark after their name, but their music will certainly have you asking after them. The Copenhagen, Denmark trio is difficult to pin down, but their music sounds as effortless as it is stylistically and sonically adventurous. Having formed in 2003, the genre-bending trio made up of Jeppe Kjellberg, Tomas Høffding and Tomas Barfod honed their skills on stage and in the studio, releasing a series of best-selling records on Gomma, topped off by their Kompakt-released 2011 mini-album Knee Deep (KOM 230LP). They remain one of Europe's most cherished live acts, performing alongside the likes of LCD Soundystem, Daft Punk, Azari & III, and they have been staples of the summer festival circuit with a breakthrough performance in 2011 at the legendary Roskilde Festival. It must be said that Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age loves the band so much that he even did a cover of "Space For Rent." WhoMadeWho have truly succeeded on their mission to eschew convention. Fusing pop and disco memes with punk paraphernalia, they now return with the sublime full-length Brighter. The album operates as the missing link between the radical playfulness of the band's previous full-length The Plot (GOMMA 120CD) and the introspective focus of Knee Deep, bridging their early work with a newly-founded sense of sincerity and musicianship. "The Sun" has already proved itself as a crowd favorite -- cocky, bold and catchy, this is THE hymn that fans new and old will be screaming to over the summer months. "Below The Cherry Moon" submerges the band in pop perfection, revealing a matured depth and lyrical brilliance. Other songs such as "Inside World," the hard-hitting "Never Had The Time" or existentialist groove-study "Running Man" feature the accessibility as well as the edginess that describe both ends of the same passion: Kjellberg's characteristic vocal hits the pop-nerve in the verses while Høffding's soft falsetto holds the song together, giving the album its constantly-evolving flow. Another instant classic that will rule our hearts and minds.