The Knife – “Silent Shout” (2006)

I’m still kind of baffled that “Silent Shout” ended up as Pitchfork’s album of 2006. Maybe it just crept in at 19 or 20 on the shortlist of every single contributor and snuck in by stealth.

Mind you, it’s steadily made its way into my own consciousness via similar means. On the surface, it’s nothing special – icy Nordic vocals to the point of cliche, chattering 80s sequencer runs, digital reverb and echo to the nth degree, processed harmonies, Roland beats. Sort of Abba meets Soft Cell via Black Celebration. I keep deleting it off my iPod and but reloading it soon after.

It’s playing right now, soundtracking the brocoli steamer. There’s nothing here I haven’t heard before. Perhaps because it’s all here in the same place, a conveniently wrapped up bundle post-electro European chilliness (there’s nothing remotely chilled about this) for those dispassionate moments. There’s a sort android yearning to “The Captain” which always makes me look up or put down whatever I’m reading and maybe half a dozen other tracks.

I suppose I’ll just have to keep puzzling. Meanwhile, their website has some bits and pieces to listen to and there are more streams here – go puzzle for youselves.