cut copy - bright like neon love
this Australian album at last gets a uk release via the rather fine modular people, and, within the opening 30 seconds you just know that they have done the right thing in bringing this album to those of us who don't check the import bins. real world noises, a car whooshing across the stereo spectrum and then a big fat warm synth bass line kicks in before a vocoderised voice lays down the melodic line 'time stands still when i think of you' to a big rich sound reminiscent of the best of air. it's a wonderful start. the opener, 'time stands still', gives a full indication as to what we are to expect for the next 40 minutes, neo-futuristic electro that places one foot in the 80's with their simplistic electro-pop keyboard riffs, and dips the other foot into the modern world of internet, french house, mobile phones and epic pro-tooled up production, meaning that for all the love of quality electro that is on aural display, the band have a love for real proper pop music where melody and easy on the ear choruses are paramount to soundtrack that perfect sunset/sunrise. after all, the sleeve notes features hand drawn homages to many of the sonic references that it's refreshing to see a band openly display their game plan : klf/jamms, giorgio moroder, elo, chic, gary numan, david bowie, kraftwerk, blondie and even fleedwood mac are all given space in various ways. of course, there is a lot of this 80's love around at the moment but the songs are welcoming, with touches of melancholy and lost romance ('will they meet again one day' to a new order backing during 'future') amidst the glitterball discofunk, making this a slightly deeper emotional listen than most of the dance floor electro that keeps the hipsters grooving in their haircuts.
i will admit, that the album is so sonically rich that at times it's almost like being faced with a full bowl of hardboiled sweets, for the first few, the sugar rush is beyond divine, but after 10 or so, the over familiarity of the sweetness can become a little over bearing and even a little sickly. thankfully, whenever the formula becomes a little tired cut copy chuck in some nice twists and turns, whether it's a subtle my bloody valentine styled guitar layers, the long lost xdr prerecorded cassette noise prior to the final track (do they still have xdr prerecorded tapes?), the addictive harmony rich synthesized strings and samples of 'autobahn music box' (could they be more obvious with their record collection ?), the devo ripped bass line of the urgent 'bright neon payphone', or even the totally perfect new order pop groove of 'going nowhere' where the bass line and guitars are matched with some excellently massive synth ambience.
all of which, makes this album a rather excellent modern electro pop album, which will please the shakers and makers as well as the homebods.
simple as that really.