She is now alive, raw, and unmistakably human, and she revels in all the desires and tribulations this implies with a radical bluntness that, if Shaking’s subject matter is anything to go by, is meant to explode any old-fashioned societal norms for how women should love, live, and express themselves. And of course, she’s going to do it while completely defying any assumptions we may have about her music.
The journey to dive into commitment that Dreijer takes her listeners on with Plunge boasts more moods and colors than Fever Ray's debut, or any single Knife album; ultimately, it's some of her most powerful work with yet.
As one might imagine from its themes, Plunge feels more immediate and open than Fever Ray’s debut.
Plunge is the natural next step, a realization of impulses that have long lain dormant, or at least unrecognized.
She seems a lot happier, or at least more energetic and outgoing, coming into second album Plunge. But that only seems to bring her up against more frustrations in the world around her, which are wrought vividly throughout.
Her debut as Fever Ray set the expectation for Dreijer’s solo venture but ‘Plunge’ is going to be another rich reward for committed listening.
The good thing about the new record Plunge for fans of her beautifully dark debut release from eight years ago is that it now only fully complies to Fever Ray’s urge for adventurous and uncompromising compositions but it also has the same nocturnal paradise as its predecessor.
This is a joyous artistic rebirth, its creator shaking her tail feathers, pushing her own boundaries and immersed in emotion and whim brought out from within.
The electronic work is fantastic throughout Plunge, never adhering to presets and making full use of every beat, burst and throb. When coupled with Dreijer’s slick, razor-sharp vocal you have a monster of a record that gets more impressive with every listen.
Pitch-shifted into a pervading mood of menace, Dreijer’s vocals grapple with sex and relationships, with political engagement never far away. Her electronics, meanwhile, are unrelentingly engaging, never just hitting presets.
Plunge is a worthy addition to Dreijer’s career discography, and fans of Fever Ray and the Knife are sure to enjoy it. It’s an energetic and erotic record that may very well soundtrack some of the freakier parties you attend this fall. Still, it doesn’t capture the full scope of Dreijer’s ambition.
Plunge is a very unique album that can be as melodic and intimate as it can be chilling and alien. After repeated plays, all of these aspects end up being enjoyed since it is apparent that these songs were built with an honest, emotional grit.
Fever Ray returns in a diminished capacity with a long-awaited sophomore album.
#3 | / | Crack Magazine |
#3 | / | PopMatters |
#3 | / | The 405 |
#3 | / | The Quietus |
#5 | / | Dazed |
#7 | / | The A.V. Club |
#9 | / | Pitchfork |
#12 | / | Slant Magazine |
#12 | / | Stereogum |
#15 | / | Highsnobiety |