Swedish House Mafia – Paradise Again

Swedish House Mafia is a phenomenon that has forever escaped this writer. Trailblazers in the EDM world, their work eschews subtlety for loud, vibrant colours, finding colossal international success in the process. At one point pulling the shutters down on their career, the production team’s return was the stuff of blockbusters, with a Coachella headline slot – joint, a collaboration venture with the Weeknd – illustrating the sheer scale of their North American breakthrough.

Remarkably, ‘Paradise Again’ is their debut album, the electronic gurus’ first full length endeavour. Packed with neon shades and muscular production, it’s ideal gym fare – that is, stylish background music, that never fully grabs you.

The cast list is imposing. ‘Moth To A Flame’ links Swedish House Mafia with the Weeknd, a sizzling 80s tinged burner that places Abel within an electronic orchestra. Man-of-the-moment A$AP Rocky appears on ‘Frankenstein’ but this collab simply serves how far the A$AP Mob rapper’s career has drifted – there’s no punch or strict identity to this, and it feels far too much like a studied industry placement that a bona fide creative endeavour.

That said, other team-ups work remarkably well. English singer Connie Constance is at her beguiling best on ‘Heaven Takes You Home’, while spiky techno-led ‘Redlight’ teases out a refreshing vocal from – of all people – Sting. – At 16 tracks and more than one hour of music, ‘Paradise Again’ doesn’t shrink from content. But then, it often feels by rote: there’s little to separate the slinky house of ‘Can You Feel It’ from the, erm, slinky house of ‘Calling On’.

Taken as a whole, however, it’s hard to begrudge Swedish House Mafia their success. It’s a phenomenally effective album, one built to occupy huge, widescreen places, and as a result foregoes the subtlety that more underground fare can enjoy. At best a fiery evocation of the electronic elements that team thrive on, ‘Paradise Again’ isn’t hell-on-Earth, but it doesn’t leave you enraptured.

5/10

Words: Robin Murray

– – –

– – –