German duo Milky Chance doesn’t feel like a band as much as it does a hybridization of aesthetics that have recently experienced minor pop success — the craggy vocals of Aloe Blacc, the globally minded guitar filigrees and spare arrangements of Nico & Vinz’s “Am I Wrong,” the reggae-lite bounce propelling Magic’s “Rude” and the noodle-casserole cohesion of Alt-J. It’s of little surprise that its winding, hand clap-assisted track “Stolen Dance” hit No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100: It’s one of Milky Chance’s more cohesive songs, with a rolling guitar line and easy amble that would flow naturally into a playlist that included Avicii’s countrified Blacc collabo “Wake Me Up!” and Of Monsters and Men’s rollicking “Little Talks.”
Schoolboy pals Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Dausch certainly had their fingers on the pulses of multiple trends when crafting Sadnecessary. To be fair, they probably anticipated a few of them – the LP came out in Germany a year ago. At points, the duo’s scattershot yet minimalist approach sharpens into something satisfying. Parts of “Sadness” have spring to them, the strutting “Becoming” touts a sample-ready guitar, and the cavernous “Feathery” shows the pair can re-create a booming sound system’s bottomless feel.
But ultimately, the sparse arrangements might make Milky Chance a fairly divisive act. How much you enjoy the LP depends on your tolerance for Rehbein’s weathered burr; his vocal tics endear as much as they irk. In a more cluttered environment that might not be an issue, but Milky Chance’s less-is-more aesthetic puts it front and center, where it will either enchant or annoy listeners.
-Maura Johnston