Having spent a lot of time lately listening to heavy beats and screaming divas, it is really hard to go into something like Flunk and expect anything similar to what has been coming out of my speakers. So to acclimate myself to Flunk, and their own personal style of electronica, I had to wean myself off of thumping dance music. Personal Stereo found its way onto my daily, randomized iPod playlist. I was greeted sporadically throughout the day with lazy, lilting melodies and Anja's Bjork-like elfin vocals. I figured this was the best approach, and it worked like a charm.
Personal Stereo plays much differently than Morning Star, the group's 2004 album. Where Morning Star was definitely more poptronica, Personal Stereo plays like a dry, cold, windy winter day. It is significantly more stripped down, and features Anja at her most vulnerable.
The album starts off with the title track, "Personal Stereo." Flunk likes to cover songs in their dreamy style, and while "Stereo" isn't a direct cover, it makes perfect use of R.E.M.'s famous "This one goes out to the one I love" line. I almost wish they would cover that song, with how adeptly and emotionally she sings that one line. In "Personal Stereo," that lyric is followed up with "Coming to you on your personal stereo." It is atmospheric, extremely vulnerable, and filled with true audible beauty. "If We Kiss" is a slow groove with Anja's vocals and vocal processing making her sound almost identical to Bjork. It's a little freaky. "Haldi" features samples from Daniel Johnston's work, and also his voice and songwriting skills. "Sit Down" is probably my favorite track, using the vocals of both Anja and Ulf Nygaard, who is responsible for the programming of Flunk. It is a haunting tune about war featuring the lyrics
"Listen to the silence in between
It's louder than the bombs that come screaming in."
Ulf sings the first verse, Anja the second, and then they sing together in a melodramatic harmony with strumming guitars and an accessible trip hop beat. Definitely one of Flunk's standout tracks, not just from Personal Stereo, but of their career. "See You" is the cover this time, and stays true with their pattern of covering new wave tracks of the 80's. This time it's Depeche Mode. Their last two new wave covers were both New Order, with "Blue Monday" and then "True Faith." "See You" in Flunk's style is almost a country tune, upbeat (for them) and utterly adorable.
Summary - I definitely recommend checking out the entire album. I've highlighted what I enjoy the most, but that won't encompass what everyone will find to love about Personal Stereo.
