iamamiwhoami ‘Bounty’ (To Whom It May Concern / Co-Operative Music)

It might seem like an indecently quick second album for iamamiwhoami, but in fact Bounty is the audio-visual prologue to the Swedish duo’s debut album proper, last year’s Kin. On the strength of its single letter song names alone Bounty does not appear to be making a bid for the mainstream, but it represents a follow-up record of confidence and flexibility. Jonna Lee’s vocal continues to be the big selling point, and she is able to move from a soft whisper to a full throated bellow, which means she can carry glam stompers like ‘u-2’ and quiet torch songs like the David Lynch-like companion ‘u-1’ on the same record with ease. ‘o’ and ‘y’ are excellent pop songs, with the frosted glass vocal and electro beats a perfect pairing, while there are echoes of influences from abroad in some of Lee’s melodies, as if she’s been listening to a fair bit of sitar music. Fascinating stuff, with echoes of Blondie, Siouxsie Sioux and Kate Bush uniting to form something new and original – and as these two are true artists, the real recommendation is to get straight on YouTube and view the whole thing in its multimedia glory.

5 out of 5

Reviewed By Ben Hogwood