Liima gulp the mountain air

Comprised of members from Efterklang and Tatu Rönkkö, Liima incorporates the former’s contemplative, synth-centric sound, but spikes it with anthemic, new wave drums. Recorded over a series of European residences, ii reflects its nomadic origins. It is at once free-spirited and claustrophobic, an album that takes listeners through a major gamut of emotions.

The sonic peak of ii comes early with “Amerika”, a soaring triumph that’s as cathartic as a gulp of mountain air, but packs a troubling message just beneath the surface. The single deals with our inescapable anxieties, and if you can’t hear it past the gorgeous instrumentation just check out the track’s video, which is the best thing shot on an iPhone since Tangerine.

“Russians” builds outwards from an eight-bar horn loop that sounds like its being transmitted through a radio from 50 years ago. Casper Clausen’s reedy falsetto is a perfect addition, and the whole affair has a Tame Impala neo-psychedelic quality to it.

Some of the production quirks don’t totally land – the same robotic vocal manipulation is used on “Roger Waters” and “You Stayed in Touch with the Wrong Guy” but works far better on the former - however the unorthodox style of ii pays off more often than not.

Liima’s sound isn’t for everyone, but for those who let ii sit with them for a while even the fuzziest, most dissonant moments will eventually feel like a revelation. It’s a record that’s weird in all the right ways, and signals the emergence of an exciting new experimental force.