On their debut album,
Agent Blue,
Agent Blå often pitted the two halves of their self-described "death-pop" -- a mix of doomy intensity borrowed from post-punk and the sweet melodies of indie pop and shoegaze -- against each other. Though the results were frequently thrilling, the band reap richer rewards by putting both sides in harmony on
Morning Thoughts. It's an approach that hints at
Agent Blå's increasing maturity: Most of the band's members were still barely in their twenties when they recorded these songs, but their growing control and finesse allow them to capture the way they teeter between young adulthood and being fully grown in richer and more fascinating ways.
Morning Thoughts' first half conveys this duality especially well.
Agent Blå have never sounded as self-assured as they do on "Lust," a fittingly sweeping, swooning showcase for Emelie Alatalo's crushed-velvet vocals and percussion that glitters like broken glass. Similarly, "Colors of the Dark" is equally stormy and graceful thanks not only to Alatalo but the gleaming work of guitarists Felix Skörvald and Lucas Gustavsson and the subtle electric piano fills of Tobias Bauer, who co-produced
Agent Blue and became the band's full-time keyboardist on this album. Conversely,
Agent Blå distill a very specific blend of melancholy and lost innocence on the bittersweet jangle of "Child's Play" and "Something Borrowed," both of which reflect their increasing skill at writing hook-filled songs that express heartache in shades of gray instead of as black-and-white conflicts. Other standouts include the darkly blissful "Boys" and "Cambion," a stomping rocker that reaffirms that
Agent Blå haven't lost any of their dramatic flair. Though
Morning Thoughts loses some of its razor-sharp focus toward the end, it's a strong step forward for
Agent Blå. ~ Heather Phares