Little Dragon: Nabuma Rubberband

Longtime admirers of Little Dragon's stately, slow-burning pop will have seen mainstream appeal approach with every release. Thankfully, there comes a time when talented acts – even ones in thrall to atmospheric, slo-mo, wistful grooves – will reap their reward. Such is how things have unfolded for these Swedes, especially after a wash of profile-enhancing collaborations with Gorillaz, DJ Shadow and SBTRKT, meaning that Nabuma Rubberband is set to raise their boat. Little Dragon's lush, beautifully drilled textures have always made the most of Yakumi Nagano's voice, but its emotional punch and soulful blur works remarkably well here on Paris and Pretty Girls. There's little new to what Little Dragon are doing – the usual descriptive adjectives such as "shimmering" apply – but there's a refreshing confidence and cohesion to the album which binds the whole thing superbly. soundcloud.com/littledragon
Download: Paris, Pretty Girls