Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

The Knife

Heartbeats (live)

Label: Brille Records Release Date: 25/06/2007

24897
Hugo_A_GoGo by Dave Kerr June 18th, 2007

It’s pretty hard to shake the mental image of Björk and Cyndi Lauper having an arm wrestle over who can wrap the eeriest vocal around a Berlin cover while ’Heartbeats (Live)' takes flight from the stereo for the first time.

Almost mercifully, what could have been a tune to accompany a montage of Chunk flying an F-14 and trying it on with his flight instructor soon enough reveals itself as a thing of better-refined romantic substance. To cut this in with a soundtrack would be to match it up with the aesthetic values of Manhunter or Mulholland Drive as opposed to the base charms of an improbable collision between The Goonies and Top Gun.

Beyond confirming their Lynchian credentials, this reworking begs an encore applause for The Knife’s near alien ability to take up the well-worn baton of Goth pop with a minimum of thigh-slapping irony. A sample from a gig in – would you credit it – Gothenburg last year, this comparatively sparse rendition masterfully chisels away any traces of excess reverb and electro schmaltz from an already alluring frame as vocalist Karin Dreijer is afforded the space that her brother Olof’s rich textures can often overshadow.

All synthesisers and metronomic finesse, this is a well-rounded depiction of how startlingly fresh an old design can look when it’s reconsidered inside the right mind.

  • 8
    Dave Kerr's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

Pharoahe Monch

Body Baby

Mobback
24640
24641

Interpol

The Heinrich Maneuver

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Takeover


    The Winner Takes It All

  • 50972

    Takeover


    10 Things To Not Expect Your Record Producer To...

  • 93724
  • review


    The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium

  • 4317

    review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044
  • feature


    New Emo Goth Danger? My Chemical Romance confro...

  • 89578

    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • news


    Our Independent music filled alternative to New...

  • 104374
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND