Thursday, February 3, 2011

Cut Copy - Zonoscope


Sleep-deprived review coming up so ignore any typos or sentences that don't make sense.



Australian synth-pop group Cut Copy have been making folks (like me!) get up and dance since 2004, but they've only really been in the limelight since 2008's wildly popular and successful In Ghost Colours. That album featured a seamless flow of impossibly catchy dance tunes the likes of which hadn't been seen since Daft Punk's Discovery. The undeniably infectious tunes have even broken through the indie/mainstream wall, I heard 'Lights and Music' being played at Easton last time I was there. When they announced a follow-up, it seemed impossible that the greatness of In Ghost Colours could be duplicated. Well, it may be impossible, but 2011's Zonoscope is definitely an admirable effort.

Much like IGC, Zonoscope begins with a flurry of instant-favorite songs, with relatively mellow 'Need You Now' setting the stage for the bouncy 'Take Me Over' and the interestingly different 'Where I'm Going.' The former is pretty standard Cut Copy material, but the latter dumps the synths and catchy vocal choruses for a vaguely bluesy beat and chanted 'yeah!'s. It's a fairly drastic change in style for a pretty consistent band, and while the song stands out well on its own, the flow of the record is somewhat disrupted by it. After that detour into new territory, the synths kick back in on Pharaohs and Pyramids and everyone can start dancing again.

The remainder of Zonoscope sees the band continue to stick true to their guns, pumping out the kinds of songs that made them who they are. Unfortunately, the 15 minute final track, 'Sun God,' is a bit overbloated and doesn't really have enough ideas to warrant its length. All in all though, Zonoscope is a solid third album from a band that I've come to expect good things from. 3.8/5.

Choice Tracks
Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution: No Youtube link yet:(

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