Album Review: KLLO - Backwater

Melbourne electronic duo KLLO mark their debut full-length release with Backwater.

With influences in electronic music, R&B and predecessors like The xx, the young cousins who make up KLLO find themselves on the verge of carving out a niche for themselves in between songs that rely heavily on genre trappings.

However, it's the songs packed with originality that stand out on Backwater. The growing crescendo and progressive structure of By Your Side and stripped-back stylings of Nylon are highlights on an album that shifts towards intimate club sounds in the second half. Airy vocals and 2-step beats seem at odds on paper, but at times work impressively for KLLO.