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The Knife are huge in their native Sweden — huge as in winning a Grammy and debuting their album at number one on the Swedish pop charts — but you’d never guess it by listening to Silent Shout. Brother-and-sister duo Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer Andersson make thoroughly odd pop that seems way too unique and alien to succeed on that level. Karin sounds like she’s channelling Bjork, Kate Bush and Johnny Rotten simultaneously, while the music is reminiscent of early 80s electro-pop informed by the house and techno made by the same instruments. The mood is dark and edgy for the most part, and while you can sing along, you’ll likely sound like a freak. Once you wrap your head around The Knife’s strange little world, it’s actually a pretty interesting place.
