It’s all been a bit confusing about birthdays of late and what you can and cannot do during them. We were told that parties were not allowed and then the person who said this allegedly had one themselves, although it apparently was not their fault in the slightest. If it were not for the fact that this band are Canadian, not from the UK and had their own political strife it would have no doubt been tempting to call this album (their ninth) ‘Ambushed By Cake!’ Enough about that particular Victoria sponge though, it’s time to pass the parcel and talk synth-pop.
I have grown to love this lot. It’s partly down to their modern take on the music that I grew up on and the fact you can be listening along and have lightbulb flashes about past favourites ranging from Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, The Thompson Twins and even The Cure and wanting to grab their albums and listen to them. However, it is near impossible to tear yourself away due to the dulcet tones of singer Chibi whose voice is simply entrancing and delightful. There are 9 new numbers here and the album flies by all too quickly in a short but very sweet 38-minute running time.
Obviously after last album ‘Diamonds’ everything went on hold (including birthday parties) and the band found themselves unable to tour giving them more time to concentrate on structuring this new one. There is an air of pessimism between the (cake) layers but you don’t need to worry too much as there are many soaring highs to indulge yourself in along the way. Starting off with the title track we get what sounds like raining glitter rather than raining blood and a swaying sultry song that is as fascinating as it is lovely. Volume up and the powerful electronic tones certainly seem bolstered production wise and even the subtle elements have a harder beating heart about them. A ballad with a bombastic chorus no less, it’s sticky, syrupy and sweet but boy does it tug at the heartstrings and have you swooning. ‘Dreams Of You’ is undeniably poppy with a beat and vocals reminding of someone like Altered Images (well that could be down to their biggest hit title) or Transvision Vamp. It’s got hit written all over it, a compulsive swirling backbone courtesy of the keyboards and simply makes you want to dance around in a game of musical chairs. ‘Cold Nights’ starts futuristically noir before trembling pulses and post punk like guitars shiver and shake over the delicious vocals.
‘Stars And Satellites’ is an invite to look into the night-sky and take it all in with breath-taking wonder. It’s a song to graze on and gaze on as the rugged synths power out the grooves and pound away slowly around the graceful vocals. There’s plenty of poeticism about things and songs and melodies entwine themselves around you in a subtle form that hardly has you breaking into a sweat. However, with ‘Like Fear, Like Love’ we get a harder hitting beat inviting to boogie and bounce around. The chorus is equally vigorous and it won’t take a single listen before you find yourself singing along. If you are a sucker for an upbeat song, it’s here in spades; talk about delivering sugar ear candy. Somehow though its practically upstaged by the gravity of the power pop chorus of next number ‘Once Again’ and if you are new to the band, these are the two songs most likely to blow you away and have you overdosing on their very sweet, delirious taste. Seriously though this one is all good and each and every track is its own pure indulgence.
Hopefully birthdays and all that will be uncompromised by end of October when the band are due to take their party on the road in the UK. Put me down for a slice of that now please.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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