Album Review

Karin Park - Apocalypse Pop

Item: Karin Park - Apocalypse Pop
Rating: 3

Sinner, saint, even goth (if you must): Park tackles them all with grace.

Reviewer: Laura Studarus

Released: 2nd March 2015

Label: State Of The Eye

Maybe it’s the use of minor key electronics, or her rough-edged soprano that brings to mind both The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Andersson and Björk, but over the course of her twelve-year career, Karin Park has been unfairly slapped with the descriptor ‘Goth’. Sure, her fifth album isn’t exactly light listening. Over the course of the album’s eleven tracks Park manages to both call herself a cunt and warn a suitor that “You shouldn’t fuck with my mind.” But to somehow imply that the cumulative statement of Apocalypse Pop can be summed up in black clothing and a downward cast gaze would be a major disservice to the her complex artistic vision.

The album is awash with the kind of synths that previously had their heyday in 1980 film scores. And sure, Park occasionally uses them to create a truly memorable cinematic moment. ‘Walls Are Going to Fall’ in particular demonstrates the Norwegian artist’s incredible skill at creating a slow-building, heart-felt payoff. Meanwhile, ‘Shine’ sees her elegantly delivering cold comfort assurances to a friend against an understated backing of drones and steel drums. But when she concerns herself with stretching the elements of her pop creations into a funhouse mirror reflections, ‘Apocalypse Pop’ truly takes flight. An unwieldy beast of a track, ‘Opium’ sees Park stretching her voice from a ghostly whisper to a guttural groan, as the song’s slow groove crumbles into a sea of aggressive white noise below her. ‘Hard Liquor Man’ forgoes hooks altogether in favour of a hypnotic chant of the track title, punctuated with a “hell hath no fury,” “damn you.” But Park doesn’t just wear these different emotional and sonic guises - she owns them. Sinner, saint, even goth (if you must), Park tackles them all with grace.

Tags: Karin Park, Reviews, Album Reviews