DUMB (Emma Louise, Flume)

"DUMB" is Emma Louise's and Flume's collaborative attempt to break a new dimension into the electropop spectrum, and though it's just thirty minutes long, it poses a valiant effort.

Whether this is a bigger statement on Flume's or Emma Louise's part, I'm uncertain. Flume's distinct, wonky production style powers through this tracklist to frame Emma Louise's polished, versatile voice in sheens of melodies and beatwork. By way of being just 10 tracks, "DUMB" happens upon consistency, not through a cohesive through-line but simply as a byproduct of the combined artistic experience of these two. As far as the pop-leaning elements of this record goes, "DUMB" is surprisingly normal; most of the vocal performances are pretty linear and unprovocative, lending a certain normalcy, an anchor by which to ground this album - whilst Flume is free to mess around quirky, nonconformist beatworks, so long as he stands within the record's vision. Really this sounds less like a Flume album and more like one spearheaded predominantly by Emma Louise, delivering her smooth voice to each track like a neatly packed gift - a gift unwrapped, ripped apart, haphazardly put back together, and repackaged by Flume. And I mean that in the best way possible, because, in all honestly, the quirky, almost abrasive future bass beats are what makes "DUMB" an interesting record. The strongest tracks here are the ones whose beat strays off course and explodes into its own living entity, perhaps like the lively progression of "Stay" or the massive sub bass of "Shine, Glow, Glisten" - but, similarly, when Flume takes a back seat, Emma Louise finds herself a little stuck in place. That's not to say Louise's vocal is bad, no, she's most certainly the biggest proponent of this record, but the charm of "DUMB" is this interaction between her reliable, consistent vocals and Flume's uncompromising experimentalism. When that interaction is lost, "DUMB" means very little.

Flume's been on a bit of a roll this year, with his collaborative EP with JPEGMAFIA releasing just months ago. "DUMB" is a well-meaning addition to both his and Louise's catalogue - another strong showing from both artists, who are well-respected in their own scenes - and though it's nothing bombastic, this is one of those albums of the year that's too low-key to be a standout, but strong enough to be a highlight. Perhaps none but a few of these tracks warrant much replayability, but "DUMB" still leaves a lingering positive impact behind it.