[Glum]

Samoyed’s music has always depressed me, so it makes sense he’s been recruited by notorious miserablist Lukid for the first non-Lukid record on Glum. But against all odds, Her Honey Dripping Behind is reasonably upbeat material, applying the skilled sound design showcased on his past releases to more floor-friendly motifs. On the title track, Samoyed plays with a frantically jacking house rhythm which constantly builds and breaks down. In spite of this, the track sits pretty far from dance-floor standards — the drums are tinny and extremely clean cut, and they’re undercut by bent synths that heavily contrast with the rhythm’s speed. Each sound is so calculated it sometimes feels as if Samoyed is approximating club music in miniature.

“Klondike Rush” takes a classic-sounding progression of rave chords and chops and filters it down, so it’s less a bombastic hook and more of a rhythmic device. It’s paired with staccato drums that feel chirpy and slight to begin with, but halfway through develop a pattern of relentless claps. “Cherry Ripe” is the most traditional piece here, a sleek, conga-infused roller that spreads out pensive horns over a Chicago-style bass line. And “A Small Good Thing” caps things on a subdued note, its dragging house shuffle a backdrop for pillowy, backwards synths, washes of strings, and a billowing bass line. Her Honey Dripping Behind is polite and careful, but also pretty charming.