

Have fun is a good deal weirder than the last record, but it's also more absorbing. On tracks like "Worth it" and "Oh my my" the duo find an impressive balance: the beats are ravaged by distortion but the enveloping synth lines soften the attack, creating a sweet spot that could become one of their signatures. "No harm," "Girl 2" and "Have fun" are smooth r&b tracks with sharp teeth. Motzfeldt channels Aaliyah as she sings about wanting to feel something on "No harm," but again, the drums' pointed aggression provides a striking contrast.
The fully unhinged tracks are also convincing. Towards the end of "Half life," it sounds like a fight is breaking out just out of frame. The instrumental "Fitness" is a bleak footwork track with a sweet coda. Perhaps sensing the need for a cool-down, Smerz end the EP with "Bail on me," its straightest track. Over a beat that could have come from a classic SWV cut, Motzfeldt runs with theme of uncertainty she expresses elsewhere on the record: "Do you talk to your friends about me?" It's a moment of self-doubt on an assured release.
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Published /
Tue / 3 Apr 2018 -
Words /
Ryan Keeling -
Tracklist /
A1 Half life
A2 No harm
B1 Oh my my
B2 Girl 2
B3 Have fun
B4 Bail on me
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