Fail Forever EP is released on 31st January
Scandinavia has an impressive track record of bands treading a clever line between dance and pop. Danish four-piece When Saints Go Machine — Nikolaj Manuel Vonsild (vocals), Jonas Kenton (keyboards), Simon Muschinsky (keyboards) and Silas Moldenhawer (drums) — are the latest. Their new mini album is an avant-garde pop gem that sounds like Fever Ray meets ‘Missing’ by Everything But The Girl. Lead track ‘Fail Forever’ pitches lyrics that ache with existential angst against a gorgeous backdrop of electronics and mournful cellos. It sounds like a cooler Empire Of The Sun. Frontman Nikolaj has a falsetto to die for – see ‘Pinned’, where it soars over arhythmic drums and swelling strings. ‘Pick Up Your Tears And Run’, meanwhile, is an ethereal soundscape of intertwined voices and keys. All told, it’s stunning stuff.