Before forming Little Dragon with her high school friends in Gothenburg, Sweden, the young Yukimi Nagano cut her musical teeth on several collaborations with the Swedish nu-jazz duo Koop, perhaps encouraging a proclivity for framing the avant-garde in an approachable package. Riding this line between pop sensibilities and more fringe music, Little Dragon's first album bravely placed it in its own, somewhat indescribable space. Starting with the aching, elegant first single "Twice," Little Dragon's self-titled album runs the gamut from neo-ballads to trip-hop pop, all with some element of traditional songwriting gluing it together. There's magic in this balance; listeners may be beguiled, intrigued, and welcomed by an instant familiarity in something novel.