Icona Pop: The swedish electro-pop duo that took the world by storm this year with I Don't Care (I Love It). While listening to their LP, I'm absolutely polarized in whether or not to think this is a 33 minute extended version of the aforementioned single (or perhaps even the dreadful We Cant Stop), or whether or not this is true pop genius.
There is no doubt a song like I Love It is pop perfection in every sense. Most people would be frightened at the notion of driving your car into the bridge, but Icona Pop makes it sound frighteningly appealing. However, as the album moves through its brisk tempo, the songs start to sound factory pressed, cloned from the same DNA of I Love It, with little change, if any. Songs like All Night are sharply crafted, but cannot distance itself from the track before it. Then there's Ready For The Weekend, which turns into a distorted mess, thats twists itself in more directions than a demon in The Exorcist. By track 7, the voice in your head starts screaming in horror, begging you to stop the party and read a book.
Even with the voice in your head forced into a straitjacket, there is no denying that the party songs are good. But track after track of this party is enough to make Lana Del Rey sound like an easy listen. If you don't mind having 11 of the same songs on your iPod, This Is... Icona Pop is right for you. However, if you were looking for an artist that plunges itself into different styles and varieties of music, save your money.
Lyrics: C+
Vocals: B-
Production: A
Overall: B