MØ
No Mythologies To Follow
4/5

Britain is currently in the midst of Scandi-fever. The death of Marius the giraffe aside, anything touched by Scandinavian hands is lapped up by the British public, and the latest offering from the Nordics comes in the form of the debut LP from Danish songstress MØ (Karen Marie Ørsted). Continuing the brand of feisty female electro-pop that has made a success of Grimes and, more recently, BANKS, No Mythologies To Follow is a confident statement of intent from the former punk rocker. Opener ‘Fire Rides’ layers her soulful voice over a hard hitting bass line and stabbing synths, as Ørsted sings of being “in too deep.” Old favourites ‘Maiden’, ‘Pilgrim’ and ‘Waste of Time’ sound as alluring as ever, and her winning combination of angsty lyrics, often harmonized vocals and leftfield up-tempo beats are in evidence with new songs ‘Red in the Grey’ and ‘Walk This Way.’ The Diplo-produced ‘XXX 88’ is another infectious track, whilst lead single ‘Don’t Wanna Dance’ perhaps sounds out of place due to its frivolous, carefree message.

What is often overlooked is the fact that MØ can really sing. Slower tracks ‘Never Wanna Know’ and the stunning ‘Dust Is Gone’ are power ballads that sound like a grittier Lana del Rey, whereas the standout ‘Slow Love’ sees Ørsted sing falsetto over an outrageous 80s synth-led production. Closing track ‘Glass’ provides a fittingly epic finale, as she sings of wanting to “be free” over an unashamedly euphoric soundtrack. Five new songs out of twelve is not a lot, but such is the success of ‘No Mythologies to Follow’ that Britain’s obsession with all things Scandinavian looks set to continue.

Josh Dishman