Ten tracks, 29 minutes -- more than enough to win you over to the sound of Sweden's
Dial M for Murder! Fiction of Her Dreams is a one-two punch of a debut album that very clearly establishes the duo's sound. And what is that sound? Indie electro-pop with a strong goth vibe, somewhere between the poised assurance of France's faux-electro-crooners
Poni Hoax and the lugubre side of
Deep-era
Peter Murphy. The music rests on agile basslines and basic electric guitar accompaniment, backed by a drum machine. The songs are short and catchy despite their flat melodies (all part of the act), and the near-nihilistic lyrics are sung in a dispirited voice. So what's to like here, again? The aesthetic perfection of
Dial M for Murder!'s approach. Everything fits, there's not a single tune, instrument, or bridge that doesn't belong on this particular album by this particular band. And it's a lot catchier than it may seem at first. Highlights include "Oh No!" (look up the video for that song on YouTube, "Do You Think So? I Don't," and "The Mourning Comes the Morning After," the title of which sums up the mood of the album pretty well. One of the best pop albums of 2009, although it may not be what you would expect from a pop record. ~ François Couture