Dance the magic dance…
[Video][Website]
[6.67]
Kat Stevens: In a Labyrinth remake she’d make a cracking Goblin King.
[6]
Edward Okulicz: Oh the fun I had reading the Popjustice forums on the initial viral videos under this name, with people speculating iamamiwhoami was the work of Goldfrapp, The Knife, Lady Gaga, Aphex Twin and (wait for it) Christina Aguilera. It turned out to be the lovably pretentious work of an artist most non-Swedes had never heard of, and the music turned out to be creditably weird enough to inspire the semi-viral hooplah. “Play” steers closest to Goldfrapp out of that lot, that is to say, not that close, as if the atmosphere of their second album was approximated with the tools of their third. It’s actually a wonderful track, with the weirdness seeming natural rather than forced, and what it lacks in obvious hooky melodies, it makes up for in layers of gorgeous sound.
[8]
Iain Mew: For an act who have essentially released nothing but singles, it’s weird how much better the sequence of songs that make up Kin work as a complete album. They build a powerful mood and consistent aesthetic with different songs highlighting particular aspects rather than the whole. So “Play” doesn’t have the dynamics of “Sever” or the warmth of “Rascal” or the industrial force of “In Due Order”, but what it does do is lead single of sorts is highlight Jonna Lee’s voice as she stretches out over the verses and then chatters away “la la la” in cascade. After “make up songs that we can sing” it’s like she’s trying to conjure a world from nothing.
[7]
Ian Mathers: This is what happens when I don’t pay attention to music for a year: this is who/what those mysterious videos were all about?
[5]
Brad Shoup: Cultures will have started admixing to my satisfaction when this kind of thing starts popping up as the soundtrack to dunk contests. “Play” works pretty well with this: the important thing is the repetition and slo-mo. Something in the beats clamping on the sick synthlurch matches the swoop before Justice’s final effortful motion, or the purity in someone bringing so much joy with an act of so little consequence.
[8]
Alfred Soto: Hysterical vocal performances like this court ridicule, and that’s a compliment when synth pads this deep buttress them. I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do with this though: it’s hard to dance to and the atmosphere isn’t luxuriant enough to bask in.
[6]