Album Review: Nelson Can – 'So Long Desire'

‘Kill your darlings.’

So Long Desire is Nelson Can’s second album, their first in six years. It’s an atmospheric electronic body of work that centres on the band’s mantra of ‘kill your darlings’; exploring love, love relationships and the sacrifices that come with it. 

Whilst there are obvious singles, such as the dancefloor filler ‘Limelight’ and the classic electro-pop funk of ‘I Wanna Be with You’, So Long Desire is an album that deserves to be listened to from start to finish without interruption. The inclusion of an intro track (‘Ambitious’), and two interlude tracks (‘Interlude’ and ‘Akebono’) allow each song to flow into one another beautifully, from the sinister ‘No Longer Afraid’ to the Morrissey-esque ‘I Used to Sleep Through Everything’. The stand out track, however, is the King Lear inspired ‘Madness’. It begins with a slow beat and melodic bass line, but ends gothic and eerie featuring a whistled melody that carries an Ennio Morricone sort of suspense. If you need a taste of So Long Desire before committing to the melancholic euphoria of Nelson Can’s latest work, check ‘Madness’ out first. 

Words by Matthew Brocklehurst

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