Swedish fuzzed out dream pop group The Radio Dept. returns with a new EP called Never Follow Suit. Featuring lead title track “Never Follow Suit” continues what the band has been doing of late, melding together traits of dream pop, electro-pop and fuzz pop. “Never Follow Suit” is off the band’s recent LP, Clinging To A Scheme. Both are now available via Labrador Records on iTunes.

Beginning with a sample (bonus points if you can pinpoint that voice) and leading into The Radio Dept.‘s now signature eletro-pop meets fuzzed out, jangle-worthy synth lines, “Heaven’s On Fire” promises great things for the band’s forthcoming record Clinging To A Scheme. It carries on precisely where the band headed post the release of their second LP, Pet Grief; songs like singles “Freddie And The Trojan Horse” and “David”.

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The summer of 2003 was a hot one in eastern Washington, and my concrete bunker of an apartment contained the heat like no other. Granted, the above image wasn’t shot by yours truly until 2004, but it sure seemed hot enough to ignite even the least combustible of items. I wrapped up my undergraduate that December, which was cold as Antarctica, and upon that milestone I moved to Seattle. It was a good year for the Northwest; many of my favorite albums came from Seattle labels like …

The intro leading into the opening vocals in “David” is a bit surprising; featuring a highly melodic and downtempo key part similar to the sounds that enveloped Pet Grief but backed by a clean, relaxed bassline and relaxed percussion initially gives the listener a startle. This isn’t The Radio Dept. we’re used to, you might think. But in actuality, it is. The vocals enter and as the song progresses, it dawns on you — it’s all merely progress.

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With this new EP, dubbed after the opening track “Freddie And The Trojan Horse”, The Radio Dept. find themselves morphing into an even darker beast than was once thought possible. In the title track, this is emphasized through electro-new-wave-y melancholy vocals and percussive beats, as well as the dark sound that encompasses the keys.