Brooke Fraser’s ‘Brutal Romantic’: Idolator Album Premiere

Mike Wass | November 11, 2014 9:30 am

Brooke Fraser leaves the gentle acoustic-pop of breakthrough albums Albertine and Flags well and truly behind on brilliant electro-pop experiment Brutal Romantic. The Kiwi’s fourth LP is heavily inspired by Scandinavian music (Peter Bjorn And John and Lykke Li, for starters) and those influences shape the eclectic, emotionally raw and sonically ambitious songs.

It’s hard to single out a highlight — the entire album is great — but the breezy synth-pop of lead single “Kings + Queens” is perhaps the most accessible. Other must-hear cuts are the dark and brooding “Je Suis Pret” and demented electro-moment “Magical Machine”. However, the track that encapsulates the LP’s wintery soundscape better than any other is the epic “Brutal Romance”. Stream Brooke’s latest after the jump.

The album is officially released on November 18 in the US. Take a listen and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Get an eyeful of even more pop music coverage, from artist interviews to exclusive performances, on Idolator’s YouTube channel.