Fiction of Her Dreams

Ten tracks, 29 minutes--more than enough to win you over to the sound of Sweden's Dial M for Murder!--FICTION OF HER DREAMS is a one-two punch of a debut album that very clearly establishes the duo's sound. And what is that sound? Indie electro-pop with a strong goth vibe, somewhere between the poised assurance of France's faux-electro-crooners Poni Hoax and the lugubrious side of DEEP-era Peter Murphy. The music rests on agile basslines and basic electric guitar accompaniment, backed by a drum machine. The songs are short and catchy despite their flat melodies (all part of the act), and the near-nihilistic lyrics are sung in a dispirited voice. Everything fits, there's not a single tune, instrument, or bridge that doesn't belong, and it's a lot catchier than it may seem at first. Highlights include "Oh No!," "Do You Think So? I Don't," and "The Mourning Comes the Morning After," the title of which sums up the mood of the album pretty well.