Printer | I Can Take More

On first listening to Printer’s third full-length, I Can Take More I wasn’t sure if I wanted to dance or sit idly and listen to the album in its entirety. The layers of synth chords and drum beats scream to be released on the dancefloor, but the Roskilde, Denmark quartet is patient to get things moving, perfectly timing their dancefloor attacks.

The second track on the record, ”Minds Out” begins in the realm of ambient downtempo, but the song grows as the band adds IDM drums and layers to the fledgling minimal beats. The four-piece really starts to flesh things out as the song hits its midpoint, the beats get heavier, the mopey vocals shed off and the song emerges like a butterfly from its cocoon, exploding into a techno pop onslaught in the final two minutes. Most of the tracks on the album are structured in this way, pop elements add depth, and the songs can be danceable or take on more of an emotional focus depending on your mood. There’s a good contrast between downtempo and dancey.

”Beat A Star” pairs a peppy Ellen Allien-inspired beat that punches through the entire song with chugging and sterile new wave synths. Mads Hein lends his brooding vocals to the track, sung in a soft lackluster fashion. If there is one drawback on the record, it’s the vocals, they’re rather boring and don’t add much to the songs, just kind of lifelessly floating around. At times, the vocals can actually bring down a song, “Allright,” for example is brilliantly programmed with its IDM drums and layers, but the repeated monotone vocals just end up dragging the song down into the mud.

Fortunately, Printer follows up “Allright” with the deep hypnotic bass of the radiant all-instrumental “I Sweat,” perfect for late nights at the club. Just when you think the quartet missed the mark, they’re there to redeem themselves on the following track. Although used minimally on the rest of the album, this is the only fully instrumental track on I Can Take More with vocals completely absent.

I Can Take More will be released on July 9th in Europe and July 10th in the U.S. via Statler & Waldorf. eMusic has the album available for advance digital download for subscribers.

[MP3]: Printer  ”Minds Out”