Release Radar: Molly Nilsson 'Un-American Activities'

The artist's 11th record soundtracks some tense eras in modern history.

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Good Morning!

Today we’re listening to Molly Nilsson’s Un-American Activities LP

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For her 11th studio album, Berlin-based synthpop artist Molly Nilsson did something different—she released a record without a black-and-white sleeve.

She also decamped to California as part of a grant program and set about making a concept record—a record about oppression, the Cold War, a weaponized state, and all the regular “isms.” You know, the usual fun stuff for a dance record.

From Bandcamp:

Written and recorded entirely on location in California at the former home of writer, poet and early opponent of the National Socialist regime in 1930s Germany, Lion Feuchtwanger and his wife Marta. An album of experimentation, genre-mashing and, above it all, Nilsson’s instantly recognisable melodic skill and empathy, it continues the songwriter’s explorations of power, freedom, oppression and its opposing force, a love unbound.

After accepting an artist residency as part of the Villa Aurora program, Nilsson began work crafting a new album from scratch in a new environment, afforded the freedom, space and time to challenge her practice and take her music into new territory. The resulting work, Un-American Activities, is a love note not only to the artist who was among the very first to be declared an “enemy of the state” by the Nazi regime but also to both the eternal struggle he fought and the human spirit that pervades all of Nilsson’s best work. It is also a double-pointed poison pen letter: a critique of the new forms of oppression wielded by her temporary adopted country of the USA but also an acknowledgement of the promise it always offers but never fulfils.

Okay, then.

Musically, the record does well to capture the Cold War era —or at least the end stage of it that I remember (the mid to late 80s). Listening to the record, it feels a bit like a collage trying to capture the era's zeitgeist, er, vibes— Nilsson was an artist before shifting to music, after all. Maybe even the sort of documentary all first-year film students make, where they work in different fragments trying to capture the whole.

When it’s good, it’s really good. And if you’re a fan of Cold Wave, Early Pet Shop Boys records, or Belgian House, you’ll find a lot to love here. “Excalibur” is a peppy, light-hearted gem with a chorus as catchy as any found on your mixtapes back in the day.

“Red Telephone” is a gorgeous bit of dream pop, the sounds belying the lyrics. And if you’re old enough to remember when terms like “red telephone” made you sit up straight and listen, don't be surprised if you find it oddly dissonant to be dancing along to the song with a refrain like “waiting for the big one.”

But dancing along you will be.

The pounding beat of The “Beauty of the Duty” will remind you of big nights out on sweltering dance floors, where you felt the music as much as you heard it.

But when the vibes are off, they’re off. As People’s Exhibit A, I’d present “Palestine.” I wanted to like this, but it's too treacly even for my tastes. It felt like a Temu brand charity song, and I’m 110% sure that’s not the intent. I’ve been trying to remember what song “JackBoots Return” reminds me of (seriously—if you know what it is, please let me know). Still, other than becoming a bit woozy toward the end, it’s an otherwise unremarkable track.

The record ends strong with “Point Doom,” a track awash in ethereal sounds and uplifting melodies, leaving the listener with a feeling of hope and reminiscing about the days when things were tense, doomsday scenarios were everywhere, and the only thing left to do was dance.

Once again, we find ourselves at an inflection point in history; the only way out is through. Going through it is easier with a good soundtrack.

Bottom line: Despite being a concept record, it’s remarkably similar to a lot of what Nilsson has done before. If you like that sort of thing, you're in luck here—there’s no shortage of beats. Ditto if you're looking for a nice synth-pop record that occasionally goes hard. But if you saw the color cover and thought it meant a new direction, you might be in for a bit of a letdown.

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Listen:

Molly Nilsson | Un-American Activities, 2024

Click the record to listen on Bandcamp

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this record!

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Thanks for being here,

Kevin—