Popkissed

The Norwegian duo of Lill- Ann Blaunfeldt and Robert Solheim conceived of their musical venture during a heady night out on the town. Ironically, every idea ever had prior to this one had been completely terrible and, let's face it, borderline dangerous. 'It's A Fine Day' is actually a lucky dip of a soundtrack, comprised of 11 songs chosen from 25 very promising candidates. The end result is an inherently meditative collection that simultaneously coaxes your immediate woes and invigorates the soul.

Popkissed specialise in lightweight synthesis dominated by arpeggiators programmed with the smoothest sounds and gentle leads that waft through the DNA of each track they create. This basis is immediately clear in 'It's A Fine Day'. Drawing largely from a background of ambient-techno, Solheim has given this album a framework that relies on building ambrosial atmospheres first, then catchy melodies and finally beats with 909s packing clout.

Lill-Ann's well-trained and highly-decorated voice is the jewel in the crown here. Always rich with a recognisable versatility and uniqueness, she tests her range from song to song. In doing so, she challenges herself to convey the appropriate emotion for the respective track and never falls flat on her face in doing so. Whether it's the wistful whispers of 'Tell Me's melancholic meanderings or the passionate opera of 'Planet', Lill-Ann sounds completely invested in the material and at one with the sound waves.

Not only do they have a great sense of electronic music composition and vocal control, there is an evident knack for thought-provoking songwriting with notions that resonate as the groovy basses do. Invoking some of the early downtempo jaunts of the likes of Erasure and the Pet Shop Boys, Popkissed's 'It's A Fine Day' is 11 instances of pure electronica bliss.