Little Dragon gave us an awesome show — in fact, I didn’t expect less. Playing before a sold out audience at New York City’s Terminal 5 on Friday, October 14, to a size-ably larger audience than when I saw them at Le Poisson Rouge—are signs of them moving into well-deserved star status.  The show was tight in structure, with every want fulfilled. From Yukimi Nagano’s flawless vocals and percussion skills to her little shimmy hip moves, to Erik Bodin slaughterhouse rhythms on the drums, Fredrik Källgren Wallin’s bass grooves—dark yet sweet and strong, to Håkan Wirenstrand on keyboards, providing those funky synths. In a very subtle way, Little Dragon are students of Prince, with the vintage synthesizers and funky bass accompanying the kick-back drums. It’s sexy, it’s vulnerable, it’s raw, it’s honest, it’s disco, it’s pop, it’s soul, it’s drum ‘n bass, it’s electronica. All of these elements show up in their music in delicious ways.

I summoned you back in 2009 to see Little Dragon if they visited your town. After watching the highlights below, you’ll understand the summons. And if you haven’t bought Ritual Union, then what are you waiting for? iTunes | Amazon With the exception of Thundercat, Ritual Union may well be one of my favourite releases for 2011.

Yukimi Nagano (vocals, percussion), Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Wallin (bass), and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards), who make up the band Little Dragon, are back with their eagerly awaited sophomore album, Machine Dreams (scheduled to release in August). Their 2007 eponymous debut album hit us with a new vibe and style, it was no surprise their success skyrocketed – good music, is simply good music. I will be completely honest, on first listen of Machine Dreams, I felt a tinge of disappointment. I expected the soulful vibe, the hip hop infused beats, electronic bass, intertwined with Yukimi’s voice.

Machine Dreams‘s formula is very similar to the self-titled Little Dragon, only this time around, they have taken a more commercial pop route with a more pedestrian pace. It’s mid-way between the dark and harrowing electronics of fellow Swedes Fever Ray to prime 80s Prince (Controversy/Dirty Mind eras). It may appear to be a big leap from their debut, as Machine Dreams is more experimental and futuristic than their debut. Yukimi’s vocals still contain her charm. Being one of the former singers of the group Koop, quite frankly, she can sing over anything and sound good. Her description of Machine Dreams is, “These days humans seem more and more like machines as technology evolves, machines feel more human and it becomes fuzzy and beautiful and science fiction-ish. We feel dependent on our machines to create and live, and their sounds reflect us.” You’re not wrong!

“Thunder Love” is absolutely beautiful. Her vocals are soulful, and at times, (especially on the upbeat pop songs) you can hear her ancestry through her voice.

This did start off as lukewarm album review, however, there are definite gems on Machine Dreams. Sophomoric pressure is hard to live up to and I’m certain Deejays will find inspiration through Little Dragon’s inventiveness on Machine Dreams as the crux of what they do best is uncompromised. Bring on the third album. We eagerly await many more! Check out Thunder Love below.

“Thunder Love” featured on Machine Dreams by Little Dragon

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