The lead-up to this album was a long one, filled with well-received singles and massive remixes, but it's finally here, and since Hillydilly has been following this Danish pop phenom since pretty much the beginning, we figured it would be a good idea to take a look at Karen Marie Ørsted's finished freshman release from start to finish. Thematically, No Mythologies to Follow isn't that much of a departure from what her singles and remixes brought to the table, but it does a great job expounding on that original sound, and turns what could have been just a couple blips on our radar into a full-fledged, interesting-enough project. The album lineup still has a lot of the previous individual releases present and accounted for, but you can tell that recording the whole project was a top-down process, because even though each track is stylistically distinct, they all make sense within the context of each other. There are, arguably, no filler tracks in No Mythologies to Follow, but some of the more gripping songs like "Fire Rides" and "Dust Is Gone" are, without a doubt, the most notable new additions in the pack. Just like MØ's previous work, there's a heavy emphasis on beats and soft textures to create an atmosphere that blends in perfectly with her voice, and no matter which song you're listening too, you can't ignore the quality of the vocal work, or the ease with which she shifts from hauntingly somber, to brashly overt. Since all of MØ's efforts up to this point have been largely successful, it would probably have been a bit of a surprise if No Mythologies to Follow was a dud, but since it's not, we can all breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy what will probably be considered one of the better albums of 2014. Purchase on iTunes now.
MØ