Smerz / Allina: Allina EP Album Review

Scraped together from the dregs of the aughts and the higher end of fast fashion, Allina is the brainchild of French womenswear line All-in Studio (from which the character takes her name) and the Norwegian twosome Smerz. The fictional newcomer and her self-titled debut EP premiered together at the label’s SS24 Paris show last fall. Despite its billing as a collaboration, Allina is essentially a Smerz project; Henriette Motzfeldt and Catharina Stoltenberg share vocals and production like they do on any other Smerz release. But unlike the beguiling art pop the pair is known for, Allina is a welcome turn toward 2000s-era electroclash and the commercial pop/R&B of Cassie, Ashanti, and Blackout-era Britney. Motzfeldt and Stoltenberg pad the EP with short, spoken-word interludes meant to flesh out the protagonist’s narrative. With a characteristically minimalist approach, the duo pairs low-lit synths, sparse drums, and fuzzy guitars with knowing lyrics that bite with edgy self-awareness. It’s Smerz’s most unabashedly pop-oriented release yet.

The humor on this EP is so understated, if you blink, you might just miss it. On “The Stylist,” the voice of Allina proclaims, “A lot of boobs but I still look thin.” When she deadpans, “And when you came, I screamed so loud” on “New Shoes,” the word “came” does double duty, referencing both the arrival of the shoes in question and the act of ejaculation. In case the come-on wasn’t obvious enough, a quick synth blast punctuates the end of the phrase, as if to mimic an orgasm. Allina leans into this type of sardonic play, echoing the sarcastic takes on feminine ideals of romance from Smerz’s first two EPs.

Nothing is done without purpose on this economical studio offering. Where the “small songs” on the duo’s 2021 LP Believer intentionally threw off the album’s momentum and contributed to its enigmatic nature, the 30-second interludes across Allina serve as buffers in between the four songs, teasing ideas like dangling modifiers. But for what they lack in substance, they make up for in rhythmic pacing, with subtle cues propelling each song into the next like an assistant ushering Allina to her next gig. For one, there’s the synthline that opens both “Dangerous” and the title track; then there’s the sound of flashing cameras on “Paparazzi” and the first few seconds of the EP. With a tight runtime of around 12 minutes, Smerz make use of every spare moment. Across Allina, the pair’s roughest edges and pop-leaning predilections combine for a smooth joyride that tantalizes just enough to leave you wanting more.