Robert Svensson
Beat EP
Nomethod
The "Beat EP" is a bizarre three-track journey, even for indie pop wunderkind Robert Svensson: the title track and closer "Unpredictable" elicit memories of the '90s rave scene with their piano stabs and driving electronic undercurrents, while sandwiched in the middle is "Talk", a gorgeously layered, slower track more akin to reflective M83 than to dancehall destined remixes of Shout Out Louds (and there is definitely some common ground to be found between "Impossible" and "Unpredictable"). With the exception of "Talk" and the inspired breakdown towards the end of "Unpredictable", the "Beat EP" is not quite of the same caliber as "Young punks are on the never-never". That said, this EP is two parts dancehall exhilaration and one part hauntingly introspective ( "Talk", while perhaps misplaced on this EP, is a brilliant track), and charming the whole way through.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
