Initially, I hated the cover. It looked dated, the font was cheap, and the three images of the one singer is an overly done gimmick that I just wasn’t happy to see, especially on a Florence album. However, after time, it grew on me. The picture itself is fabulous, so I can deal with it being mirrored twice. The font is a small complaint I can get over, and really, most of her covers have a dated appeal to them, so that’s no issue either. If anything, she looks a little too white on the cover. That’s all I can say against it now, because her hair stands out like her head’s literally on fire.

—

Now, considering what Florence is popular for these days, it’s not surprising that Ceremonials opens with a rather good interpretation of her music at large; Only If For A Night opens lightly with some harp and Florence singing, and some light ambient piano before exploding into a galloping beat, allowing her to work her pipes a little better. Now, I will say I’m not too sure where to go with the lyrics because… Well, the second verse goes into how green grass is and doing cartwheels, and there’s one mention of the word Ceremonials in there, but that’s about all I get. She sounds great though, and it’s a good choice for an intro track.

Though I initially wasn’t a fan of her choice for the proper lead single at all. Shake It Out initially came off as a folk-tinged version of Beyoncé’s Best Thing I Never Had. This instantly made me dislike the song, though after a bit of growing I overcame this crippling oversight. The songs share some instrumental similarity when it comes to structure and overall style, though the lyrical content varies by a huge amount, and this could be my bias showing, but Florence just… Sounds better in general. And the message of shaking off the past and your regrets (using demons as metaphors, though I guess such things can be referred to by such a name too) rings a lot truer and more sincere than how much you do or don’t need your boyfriend. So, this song definitely wins out.

And then things get much better, because What The Water Gave Me, one of three songs performed live before the album’s release, is one I’ve been a fan of since she first did it live months before the release. It’s a rather subdued blues-influenced piece with constant crescendo’s between the quiet verses and the build-up to the choruses, before exploding just about halfway into the song into a little bridge, going down for an instrumental section, then coming back up and repeating itself all over again. It’s a literal roller coaster ride of a song, and the lyrics relating to drowning and the power and nature of the water ring true to what Florence intended the album to be about. And frankly, she sounds great, as always, though the change in song structure to give her something simpler overall worked wonders, because her voice stands out a lot better here than amongst the constant blaring of drums, harps and strings. This is easily one of the best songs on the album, if not in her discography.

Obviously that was a hard act to follow, so Never Let Me Go has to do a lot to really prove itself at this stage. It follows her usual structure of starting quiet before exploding into a beautiful wall of noise, this time largely ambient with a lot of choir vocals and ambience overall, with a thumping beat playing underneath. It’s another subdued number, but I can’t avoid drawing conclusions between it and Only If For A Night when it comes to overall feeling, even if the tones and meanings behind the songs are largely different. It’s one of the tracks I really just forget about, unfortunately, though its positioning has a lot to do with that.

And then the album reaches its critical low point with Breaking Down. Honestly, this is just a song I would picture Adele doing. It’s got a real retro, almost Western movie feel to it, and the use of a delay on her vocals gives her voice a really different sound compared to the rest of the album so far. Honestly, the mastering for this song is just a mess, and there is too much delay in the wrong places, and it all just manages to sound… Really, really awkward. I am not a fan of this song at all.

Thankfully, things pick up straight away with Lover to Lover, a continuation of the retro sound. However, this time it’s more of a 60s girl group vibe, though the same style piano is used in this song, albeit to better effect. Of the songs working this gimmick, this song definitely reigns supreme, being a rather sassy number about the protagonist’s promiscuity, going deeper into the whole thing through the verses, with reference to having no salvation and how she’s okay with it. It’s actually a rather surprising song to have just thrown in here, because even if it shares a gimmick with Breaking Down, it’s just so different both stylistically and lyrically to anything else so far. Another highlight, to be sure.

But this is where Florence just absolutely slays everything in her path. No Light, No Light is, without a doubt, the BEST SONG on the original Ceremonials disc, playing the quiet opening to explosive chorus structure well, opening with nothing but a chorus and organ to back Florence up, leading into a harp transition and what is, hands down, the best chorus I have actually ever heard her do. The song actually matches pretty closely to Cosmic Love for me, the song that really used this structure we see so often on Ceremonials first, though it sounds decidedly more urgent and yet more fragile at the same time, showing the two sides of the song and the lyrics. And even when it comes to lyrics, the bridges and chorus vocal hooks are just irresistible. Everything about this song is immaculately produced and composed, and everything just sounds perfect. Honestly, if there had been one song I would have pegged as a lead single for this album, it would’ve been this, because it is hands down the paramount (read: most entirely amazing) song she has ever done.

Of course, after an epic song like that, you have to go somewhere, and damn it, Seven Devils tries its hardest to match up. This is another departure from her structure, as the song is actually extremely consistent in that it features the same drum beat and piano riff throughout the entirety of the piece, only adding more instruments over time. It’s all mysterious and oddly creepy, and it’s hard to tell whether the song is about revenge over someone who has wronged you or if it’s, quite simply, about the seven deadly sins. It’s a song that can be taken either way, and it does its job really well. It can’t match up, but it’s a great little track.

Of course, nearing the end of the album is where things start getting sketchy again. Of course, with Florence that’s never a gigantic issue, and Heartlines does a good job of trying to keep things at a steady pace and not just entirely dropping the ball. It’s got a much more tribal vibe to its beats, and it just feels like a much more primal song compared to the rest, which all sounded rather mystical instead. Quite frankly, it’s not as different as you’d think from that description, though it is a good quality song, and the palmistry references in the lyrics were a nice touch, as it’s around the first choruses it starts gaining some real mysticism to it. Worth a few listens, definitely, because it could catch on.

And thankfully, Florence isn’t done with her epic thumpers yet, because it’s  just as the album draws nearer to its end that Spectrum comes in. It’s another Cosmic Love-style song, though instead of the harp and piano it mostly focuses on a whistling string section in its introduction, leading into another galloping tribal-style drum beat for Florence to sing along to. The first chorus is actually surprisingly sparse, focusing on the galloping beat instead of focusing on flourishes, and the next verse follows suit well. When things really get going and the choruses become fuller, the song reaches its prime, and it’s just a beautiful thing to behold. In a modern world of feel-good “Be Yourself!” songs, this is probably the only song out of them to actually register at all and not just sound pretentious, because that’s its entire message; let your true colours shine. Or you could say it’s about finding a love so real that it illuminates you, but it depends on whether you feel the verses make the chorus come off as more of a metaphor than literal (as I do) or not.

It’s at this stage that it starts to feel like things have just blown to their boiling point, leading into cool-down time. All This And Heaven Too is another of those quiet songs that explodes, but at the same time it’s one of the songs that feels a little simpler as well. Now, Florence sounds amazing in this song, so that’s enough reason alone to listen to it, but it’s still one of the songs I really avoid, because honestly, the flow of the lyrics in the chorus just throws the verses off entirely. And it’s a damn shame.

Things end off on the regular edition on a rather… Odd note. Leave My Body is another song with some bad choices that kill it, mostly revolving around the choral sections featured in the chorus, though the song is another down-tempo number that sounds rather subdued. It’s also another song that comes off sounding rather sensual lyrically, similar to Lover to Lover, but unfortunately at the end of the album it just kind of drifts off of the radar. Besides, if you’ve got the deluxe edition, better things are just ahead…

Though they don’t come up just yet. Remain Nameless is, if anything, another Seven Devils. It’s sinister as hell, ambiguous, and it is actually entirely electronic, giving off an eerie 80s vibe. Honestly, this song creeps me out more than Seven Devils does, and I’ve never really managed to listen to the entire thing, because I just… Don’t know how to take it.

Thankfully, things pick up again here, and we go back to what Florence does best with Strangeness and Charm, the first of the three songs performed live before the album came out. While the song is similar in structure to the better songs on the album, at the same time it’s so different because of the guitar usage and the presets used on the keyboard or synthesizer, with the perpetual strings whistling in the background, leading into a louder little chorus where Florence shows off her pipes again. However, things keep rising this time, and an all-out barrage of drums follows, with Florence singing at her most melodic at this stage of the song, showing some beauty in the chaos. That it wasn’t on the actual album is almost a damn travesty, because this is easily up there with No Light, No Light and Spectrum. However, it really doesn’t fit lyrically, as it came from the early stage where the album would be more scientific in lyrical nature than mystic or anything like that. Obviously that fell through, so it’s a bonus track instead. But what a bonus!

The third of the three live songs comes up next in Bedroom Hymns. This is more taking some signatures and working them into something a little different for Florence, using a thumping beat and some intricate drum work to create a steady drum beat only amplified by electronics and harps in the chorus to increase the epic nature of the song, as well as some extra tracking of some kicks to fill it out a lot more before dropping down again. As simple as the song is, and as short as it is, it’s extremely effective, and the religious references mixed in with what are obviously sexual references makes for a rather perverse song, and an easy guilty pleasure when it comes to the album as a whole.

Then in the slew of demos comes a real surprise, as it turns out that the demo of What The Water Gave Me was actually extremely electronic, giving the song an even more consistent feeling than the album version got. While that means it does lose out on quite a few elements that made it so good, it’s nice to see the earlier stage of the song as a whole.

Though the real gem here is the only song that didn’t make it onto the album in a finished state, the demo version of Landscape. Now, the song consists mainly of really catchy drum beat with some piano, bass and strings to amplify it when necessary. It straddles the line of epic and simple at the same time, never really tilting more to either side at all, with Florence’s voice easily grounding it between the two. Now it just makes me wonder how it would have sounded if it had left the demo stage, because this is AMAZING for what is supposed to be an early version of a song. I can only hope it appears on a future repackage or single as a b-side.

In a rather strange fashion the deluxe edition ends with three acoustic versions, starting with Heartlines. Now, the guitar, harp and piano make for an interesting introduction, though it doesn’t quite lead into what I was expecting, because there’s a bit of a high note before she actually starts singing. Now, it is extremely simple, and sounds extremely folksy, so I’m really getting into it at this stage. It really gives Florence’s vocals a space to shine without getting into a volume war with the instruments, so it’s a nice little alternate version.

Then Shake It Out comes on, starting out entirely a capella for the first half of the first verse, before the acoustic guitar comes in. Similar instruments are used this time, though much more sparsely. I must admit, the vocals in this version bug the hell out of me, because instead of getting higher as they finish the repeating lines, they go into a little dropping note and it just sounds off. So, I didn’t really get into this one as much.

And then it ends on the worst possible song with Breaking Down. Thankfully, the loss of all of the unnecessary delay makes the song sound much better, even if it loses the retro vibe. It’s actually a really beautiful rendition, so I’m quite glad they gave us this take on it, because it’s much more enjoyable, while still following the same structure without the annoying drums.

—

Ceremonials easily beat the pants off of Lungs. The album was much more consistent, and featured many more epic songs while still experimenting enough to keep it interesting for the entire hour and a half it lasts for. It features some of the best songs of her career, especially No Light, No Light, and shows improvement in almost every area. It’s very safe to say that, while she lost the eclectic and quirky charm that made Lungs such an enjoyable album, she’s matured enough to create songs that still have an amazing effect on you while listening to them. This is definitely in the top three albums of the year, and is definitely the most interesting and meaningful of the bunch. Everyone needs to hear this at least once.

Okay, the scenery’s nice enough, and MiChi herself looks amazing, but… What is with that navy blue veil and the monster fur she’s wearing? Had they maybe done her outfit a little better, this would be a perfect cover, but that kind of just kills the shot entirely. It’s all a bit too uniform in colour for me, too, but I could’ve gotten past that had it not been for the damn DRESS.

—

Now, the intro for Find your Way got me excited. It’s the guitar and consistent synth structure she’s used before, but unfortunately it just leads into a rather flimsy little track with some sweeping strings placed over it. Then the verses come in and I just instantly start comparing the song to ONE. Honestly, were two of these songs required in one era, let alone directly after each other? I’m not a fan of this song at all.

Find your Way, however, wasn’t done by Tomokazu Matsuzawa, her usual partner. Thankfully, Perfect World was. However, it’s really just an ambient dance track that never really goes anywhere and only has MiChi singing in the choruses, buried deep beneath the ambiance and beats. The post-chorus guitar was a nice touch, but again, another miss with this song.

Covers are a common part of MiChi’s single, and this one is no exception. However, she chose to do Bruno Mars’ Just The Way You Are. I hate this song. To death. MiChi’s is a faithful cover, so I’m already instantly not looking forward to it. And she doesn’t surprise me at all, because her voice was not made for this song, and hearing her sing from a male perspective is just a bit weird here for some reason. So, not here for this either.

—

Now, I hate having my first MiChi review being a negative one, but this single is just… Awful. It really made me wish she would release an album and end this overly long era, but ON THE DAY IT CAME OUT she announced another single. So I’m not sure what the hell she’s doing, but if she doesn’t pick up soon, this album is in extreme danger of ending up terrible.

I’m going to be honest, I LOVE this cover. It’s simple, it’s striking, and while it may seem like it doesn’t relate to the album at all, the horns of the antelope are meant to tie it into the album cover, since they’re obviously spiraled. Honestly, though, out of the album cover shoot, this is the worst photo, so I’m not sure why it was chosen to be the only cover across both versions of the album, but it’s still beautiful.

—

Now technically, the album opens with the intro that is Secret Place… However, it’s over three minutes long. The first minute and fifteen seconds are mostly ambiance and a few synths playing quietly in the background, making for a rather calm intro until immi comes in and begins vocalizing over the top of it. Then it quickly breaks into a little electro-pop tune using the same synths that has immi actually singing something coherent. It’s a pretty little tune to kick things off, at least, but it feels a little long for what it is.

Thankfully, things kick up a notch with FIGHT BACK, a dark tune using a constant guitar riff and a lot of 80s synths to create what really is a sinister little 80s electro tune focused around a consistent house arrangement. Now, the song makes great use of immi’s vocalizing, and it’s got quite a lot of little hooks and loops to get you hooked onto the song, so it really doesn’t feel like it’s lasting for almost six minutes, which it actually does. Funnily enough, as good as it is, it was only a b-side to the lead single of the album. So, yeah, that’s a good thing, though it WAS originally meant to be an a-side.

Even funnier is that it’s followed up by its a-side, Sign of Love. This song is actually rather ambient and light in contrast, using a simple beat, a lot of fading buzzes and some punchy beats. It’s full of all kinds of melancholy, even if you can’t understand what she’s saying, and it’s the kind of song that suits her voice perfectly, especially when it gets to the bridge where things focus a little more on the piano riff for a little while. This was a perfect way to lead into the album, because it’s easily one of her best promotional tracks.

Though it instantly leads into something quite different. Swimmer is odd for a song on an electronic album, as the main focus of the track is actually the bass riff, with it being the only thing in the song for at least four bars before the coupling synths come in and it eventually turns into a bunch of reverb-packed synths that give a real feeling of being surrounded by water. As simple as the verses are, the song has a lot of punch in it, and the bass riff alone is enough to get you hooked onto it. Then it gets to the chorus, where a real buzzing synth comes in over the top and the bass drops out, giving a real sense of urgency to the song. It just does its job really well, and shows that not even electronic songs have to be packed to the hilt with sounds and ambiance to drag you into it.

The next song, however, works the exact opposite angle. Jeezy Peezy, a collaboration with The SAMOS, is packed to the hilt with buzzes, wubs and everything in between, dropping out every few seconds to allow a little cowbell solo before coming back blaring til you’re deaf. While the choruses are all out like this, the verses are actually surprisingly simple, mostly being a beat with immi singing on top, which seems to be a bit of a trend. It also ends as another ambient track, having a lot of warm sounds and some guitar to end things off gently. Honestly, it didn’t need the dips; if it had been all-out all the way through, it would have been even better. Still amazing though.

However, things go back to a more general electro-pop route after two experimental tracks. Step Up is another 80s flashback track, using a few video game synths at the same time, and while they are rather catchy… I must say that immi’s vocals really don’t fit in this song. Not because there isn’t any real processing on them (Because when is there?), but the notes she’s hitting sound like they’re off in the first place, so it kind of throws me off when it gets to the chorus, but the verses are catchy enough. The first drop the album’s actually had in quality so far, but even then it wasn’t a very big drop.

The 80s aren’t gone yet, and the promotional track for the second era’s EP, Alice, kicks it up yet another notch. It’s actually quite similar to FIGHT BACK (though it should be vice versa, considering Alice is the older song), having rather dark choruses and a dark intro, though the verses are pretty bright to give it a bit of contrast, since the synths that really drive the song only appear in the choruses and bridges consistently. Surprisingly, the song is drawing some inspiration from Alice in Wonderland, as the chorus actually says in English, which I was surprised to hear when it ended up being so 80s. Definitely a nice step back up though.

But now we’re back to the ambiance with Rainbow, an atmospheric song opening with some wind and a guitar, with immi’s reverbed and panning vocals coming in pretty quickly. The song’s under three minutes long, and she doesn’t start singing until about a minute in, so it’s kind of hard to listen to it as an actual song and not an interlude, but the laid back, natural feel it has to it was an interesting approach to take now, even if halfway through the wind drops and more unnatural synths start popping up again. I would’ve liked to hear more of this, actually, because it was a great change of pace!

Next up, we come to the ambient pop song in sora to i.  The main synths have a little bit of distance to them, while still buzzing around, giving it that nice mix of ambience and a little bit of hook. The simple verse, active chorus structure is back here, slowly building until it crescendo’s into the intro again for the chorus. After Rainbow, it’s slightly disconcerting to come back in on this note, but it is a nice and simple little number.

Another collaboration is up next, with THE LOWBROWS stepping in to take over the production for Black or White. This song is another of the 80s influenced songs, though it buzzes around a lot less, going for a smoother approach in its synth usage. It’s consistent, in that it’s never entirely sparse but the choruses don’t add any huge touches like they do for other songs. Due to this, I kind of don’t really think much of it compared to the other songs. Especially since the opening lyrics for the second verse contain some of the worst English I’ve heard in a J-Pop song. I’m really torn by this song.

To me, immi’s best stuff is always the experimental tracks. Which is a good thing at this stage, because No. 1 GIRL comes in to take up the slack, involving a consistent thumping beat and what is actually quite a few brass samples to give the song a real house feel compared to the rest of the album. It’s a really sensual song overall, sporting quite a bit of a showgirl feel to it, with this factor increased quite a bit by the translated lyrics, talking a lot about love and dancing. As absurd as it may sound at this stage of the album, if anything could possibly compare to Swimmer in terms of how amazing it is, it’s this song.

We’re back to another thumping house track now, with Go Around‘s main focus being the consistent drum beat that appears through the whole song. The focus is never taken off of the drums, with the only real addition later on in the song being the looping blare of synth that appears in the chorus. A simple track, but an enjoyable one perfect for filling out the album a little bit more.

I was hoping this album wouldn’t have a ballad for ages when I was first awaiting the album. Unfortunately, circle – square – triangle is the ballad of the album, though it’s notable for its use of what I believe is a sitar sample alongside the slow jam beat. It’s nothing I’m largely tempted to listen to, especially since it drags on for a good six and a half minutes, so I’m a little disappointed that it had to come in here, of all places.

Thankfully, the album ends on a great note; the first promotional track from an EP for the album, WONDER. It makes good use of buzzing video game synths and a fast beat to give the song a real feeling of, well… Wonder. The verses are deceptively simple, and may throw you off a bit, though once it gets into the chorus, things (of course) explode into a real cacophony of different sounds, giving it a real spaced out sound. While I would’ve expected her to end the album with a song like circle – square – triangle, WONDER is actually the perfect way to end things off.

—

When it comes to electro, 2010 was one of the best years we ever had for it, with Spiral being one of the main reasons for that. It’s almost entirely consistent in quality, it’s got a few different styles going on, and she wasn’t afraid to experiment with different sounds. The lack of vocal processing was another little plus, considering how much you hear of it in this industry. This was easily one of the best albums of its year, and really solidified my place as a major immi fan. Any electronic fans out there really need to try this album.

Okay, first off, I hate her hair. I’m never a fan of just piling it on top like that. It just looks tacky. I’m also not a fan of her pose, but the overall concept of the cover works, so I can give it points for that. I don’t have any strong feelings about it either way. It’s just a generally decent cover.

—

Kicking it off with an intro, Perfection is basically a male voice, skipping and warping in pitch, listing different things apparently wrong with a particular person and mentioning what can cure it, which is supposedly perfection. Between the skipping, warping and what it leads into, you can tell things are pretty wrong here.

And I say this because Wonderland is pretty damn dark. There’s a lot of bass synths and one arpeggio opening the song, before going into a mid-tempo track involving a lot of clicking and sinister choral vocals, all making for a foreboding atmosphere leading into the synth string-laden bridge that leads into the chorus, which takes after the verses instrumentally. The lyrics are pretty deep too, and seem to be about how, while she doesn’t believe in fairy tales, she wants one of her own. Not the deepest song together, but when it all comes together it gets the message across really well, and it’s fairly catchy. Good way to start things off.

Then Free comes on, starting with a short clip of Natalia saying something leading into the verse done by will.i.am (ugh, REALLY?), and then straight into the chorus. The general beat has the same sounds as Wonderland, but it’s got a bit of bright ambiance, shakers and piano thrown in to make it come off as all shiny and bright instead. The weird thing is, I read somewhere that the verse sounds a lot like Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights‘ chorus… Which I thought sounded absurd, but after actually listening to the song, it really is basically an over-produced version of the same damn thing. Which seems like a rather odd choice for a sample about a song relating to money woes. But it’s catchy, and in a world where sampling’s a common thing, it’s not hard to swallow anyway.

Fortunately, Kill My Boyfriend comes along to shake things up. I wasn’t expecting a song so bouncy to come from an album like this, but between the repeating piano notes and the general rhythm of the guitars, it’s quite obvious. Which is strange, when the song appears to be quite literally about killing her boyfriend. Between the guitar-driven verses and the bouncy piano choruses, it’s got enough to keep it stale, yet make it incredibly catchy at the same time. A vast improvement over what we’ve heard so far.

Following Kill My Boyfriend‘s lead, Break You Hard opens with a short guitar burst, though while it sounds like it’d continue, Natalia simply recites “I’m about to break you” before the sound of shattering glass plays and things get all dark and ominous, with a warped laugh and a really deep beat that makes what we heard in Wonderland sound a lot less sinister. So the song already has better beats than anything so far. Then the chorus starts, and Natalia’s singing better than she has as well. So at this stage, things are only starting to get better and better as a whole.

Zombie opens with some buzzing synths and some real video game horror piano music playing under it before the slow jam beat comes in and Natalia starts singing. Now, the first thing I notice here is that her voice is processed beyond what we’ve heard so far, and I don’t really think it suits the song all that much, so that wasn’t a great move for me. The beat’s great, but the vocals just ruin the song. Not as much as they did in, say, LMFAO’s Champagne Showers, but still.

Dark choral vocals start playing as Love Is A Suicide opens, with what almost sounds like Natalia crying spurting in every now and then, before some real 80s style synths start coming in. Now, the melody playing in the verses instantly catches me. When it goes from a quiet buzz to a real warping synth line with all the other effects playing over it, things start getting even better. Then the chorus comes on and just slays the whole damn song, kicking the riffs up a few notches and throwing in some backing vocals to enhance the song. We may have had a little dip with the previous song, but this one manages to take things straight back up, because it’s damn amazing.

Now things start buzzing a bit with Mirrors, still keeping the 80s vibe up as well. Now, I’m not sure what it is about the song… Maybe it’s the way the chorus just suddenly comes in too quickly, maybe it’s the way she’s singing it… But something about it just kills the song entirely, and the general beat isn’t the catchiest either, so this song kind of just flew over my head. I can’t really even think of anything else to say about it, it’s just… Not that good.

Some whispered, distorted mentions of the names of Natalia and the producer open Not In Love, before a guitar with a hell of a lot of reverb comes in with a beat playing underneath it. After this, the song is actually really empty, with just a beat, a general buzzing synth over it and a few bursts of sound effects. When the bridge comes in, some ambiance and synth strings come in to boost things up a bit before going back to basics for the chorus to allow for another build-up. The odd thing is, it never really goes above this, but it’s still catchy. So it’s a bit of an oddball that way, but it’s still good.

Acid Annie goes back to a more rock-influenced sound, not exactly sounding all that dark but being rather sinister at the same time. It’s really nothing that hasn’t been heard before on the album, so I kind of just tune out whenever it comes on. It’s not terrible, but it’s just another one of those songs that isn’t very interesting.

And I’m really starting to lose interest, because now it’s just 80s synths and choral vocals starting things, before yet another song that sounds like Wonderland starts up. Superficial is a song that, if it hadn’t started so late, could have been great. But it even does the same “repeat a word three times in the chorus” thing that Wonderland does, so it just sounds like a lazy addition to the album, so I don’t know what the hell they were thinking here.

I swear this song sounds like it’s on the verge of being another one with a choir in it, but instead Broke just sounds like a simple beat and Natalia’s vocals playing along with some ambient backing. The problem is it still isn’t doing anything to set itself apart. Relying on one sound can work on some albums (Hell, I love Friendly Fires’ Pala to death, as anyone who’s seen that review would know, and that’s basically one long song), but she just isn’t doing it right here. This is something else to skip over, right here.

Heaven starts off with a little but of panning as a little buzz plays, followed by more 80s buzzing and Natalia singing. I’m already bored with the song as it opens, because once again she just sounds like she’s being lazy with everything that doesn’t involve her vocals. It’s another ambient slow jam, through and through, so I’m just done with this song.

Already Nothing Lasts Forever is just doing the exact opposite of what it should be, which means it’s like the rest of the album. The biggest difference here is that the instrumental in the verses is just a damn mess, and the choruses don’t do enough to get me interested in the song. Don’t bother with it.

But who knows. Maybe she’ll go all out and the album with a real bang after what, so far, has been a disappointing album. Nope. That isn’t happening, because If I Was God is just another song that sounds like Wonderland, using the exact same sounds once more. I’m just sitting here right now, rolling my eyes, and all I can think is… REALLY?

—

Oh, god. Oh, GOD, this album. I’m sorry, I know at least one of you that’ll be looking at this is a huge Natalia Kills fan, and I can respect that. But lord, this album is just a TERRIBLE example of how to go about things. It started out great, don’t get me wrong. Wonderland, Kill My Boyfriend and Love Is A Suicide are all decent songs, and the last is actually spectacular. But the rest of it is just a lazy-ass mess. I can’t even say go for the five tracks shorter American version of the album, because half of it is the worst songs of the bunch! Just don’t bother. Unless you’re a massive Natalia fan or absolutely obsess over what she does in Wonderland to the nth degree, don’t go for this album.

…Okay, girl. You’re my bias. And you know I love you. But… No.

—

Okay, so the hot mess of a cover isn’t entirely unfitting. Because while the cover is a hot ass mess, BEATBOP is just a hot mess. The difference being the ass makes it bad. Opening with a horn sample degrading into nothing, it eventually leads into a funky House arrangement, made up of a bunch of horn samples and cut and paste drums with a prominent bass line over it. It’s pretty much a glorified intro, since it’s only two minutes long and Saori doesn’t do much singing considering half of the song is taken up by stock vocals, but it has a very… Ethnic feel to it. More so than anything on WORLD WILD 2010, anyway, which is odd. But the song is infectious and just damn amazing anyway.

Though things drift into a more predictable direction with Domestic domain, a bright, bubbly electro-pop tune involving an intro using a good, steady beat, a catchy riff and some piano work… Before going awkwardly into a verse consisting of a piano and sparse beat introduction before a steadier beat is brought in and it just continues on its way until we get to the intro/chorus again. I’ll admit, it’s not the most interesting song there is, and I could’ve done without the male backing vocals in the chorus, but it’s nice enough. I would’ve thought the title track would’ve stood out a bit more though, but that chorus is great, at least.

And then things start getting unpredictable again. I mean, Saori’s done hard songs like GAMBA JAPAN before. BABY tell me from her last album comes to mind, especially. But this song plays up the ethnic aspect a lot more than anything so far, except maybe BEATBOP, and it’s verging on dubstep until after the second chorus and it enters into the second verse. Suddenly, there are wubs all over the place, and the crazy wild beat and the wall of sound kind of drops away for the harsh buzzing to take the front. Honestly, I’d like to say this is one of the hardest songs she’s ever done, though it’s not quite as dark as BABY tell me was at the same time, so it’s kind of split between two extremes. It’s actually what I would’ve expected the title track to sound like. Not based off of the title or anything, but just because it’s interesting and different.

Then the song flows seamlessly from a wall of wubbing into a looped vocal sample and more sparse beats with COLLAGE. Honestly, this intro is just damn annoying. It’s a lot of annoying Shinichi Osawa-style loops (not always a bad thing, apart from now) and Saori singing really softly. Then the intro drops out and it turns into a smooth house track, and my interest raises tenfold. Honestly, she’s done house songs before, but at the same time she’s never been THIS house, verging more on a pop-friendly take on it. This is almost like the French house style instead of what we or those in Japan would be heavily accustomed to; it’s a consistent song after that intro, and it places a pretty large focus on melodies while the song itself really stays through one section apart from a break into a chorus every now and then. She does her aggressive songs well, but I think this is what she needs to start doing more of.

And then we go from smooth house into the biggest Michael Jackson tribute I’ve ever heard with OFF THE WALL. This song is basically  a bunch of old 80s song titles, by both MJ and other artists, thrown into one song and turned into some actually comprehensible lyrics about the usual heartbreak motif, played over a heavy funk, piano-heavy track. Saori’s voice actually sounds a bit off here when she’s doing the extended notes, but other than that, it’s great, and she sounds good too. Going from GAMBA JAPAN to COLLAGE and then here, the three tracks easily make up the holy trinity of this album, because they’re some of her best songs, hands down.

OF COURSE, though, a D-Topia album needs its ballad, and this time it’s Pray, opening with some of the worst male vocals I’ve ever heard, turning into a slow R&B jam with some heavily out-of-place guitar playing in a manner that barely fits the music at all. It’s all bright, sparkly and kind of relaxing… Somehow they made it fit well on the album, placing it after a track like OFF THE WALL, but at the same time it’s just unnecessary. Considering this is a track on an album by an artist known for being on the heavier side of the dance spectrum quite often for an electro-pop act, it really just wasn’t called for at all.

Thankfully, things go out with a bang. Klaxon is actually the first Saori song to really push the fact that Terukado didn’t produce it, with G.Rina taking the reigns this time… And it kind of shows. The song has all the hallmarks of an Uffie track, using a rather house-y beat and utilizing talk-singing and rapping instead of the traditional method. Now, this is some deep stuff here, being the song on the album directly influenced by the tsunami, earthquakes and other dramas Japan was facing around the release and recording of the mini-album. The song is actually disturbingly unsettling for what it is, utilizing the calm-before-the-storm intro blasting into a high-energy song perfectly. And it’s a pretty damn epic way to end things.

—

Now, forgive my bias, but this mini-albums is one of the main reasons I am a gigantic Saori fan. I was split over it at first, because honestly, it comes off as a collection of WORLD WILD 2010 left overs that couldn’t fit onto the album, but after they’ve been given some time to grow, it becomes largely apparent how many times Saori stepped out of her comfort zone here, and it actually worked out really well. And thank god, because it lead to PARK OF THE SAFARI being an amazing album as well. Listen to this. Now.

…I must admit, I’m not a huge fan of the outfit for any number of reasons. Though it’s always nice to see her smiling on a cover, and it’s always nicer when the person smiling in said cover actually has some hint of sincerity in their faces. So, I’m slightly torn on whether to love it or hate it, but I can stand to look at it.

—

Thankfully, my opinions on Superman are decidedly less divided. It was a nice surprise to see her going back to a true R&B sound on her first single under Universal, and it’s definitely a nice start to the next stage of her career. It’s an up-tempo number, though not one that’s exceedingly bright; there’s a hopeful tone to it, and quite frankly, all you can say is that it kind of makes you want to smile. I will admit, while I did like the little breakdown near the end of the song, the filtering over her vocals wasn’t something I was a huge fan of. The ending with all of the beeping over the melodic synth line and the clapping was a bit much too, as it could’ve done without the overlay, but these are small issues. Definitely something I can get behind, and I’m hoping her next release is just as good.

Then Love Road comes along. And it’s a piano ballad, but one of those bright hopeful ones instead of a depressing dark one. I’m not too sure about it, especially when the drums and sparkling sounds come in, though it’s definitely a different side to her sound than what Superman gave us, so at least the single’s keeping things diverse for now. I mean, I don’t really have much to say about it… I’m not a fan of these types of songs. But it’s nice enough, I guess.

Then the single ends with exactly the kind of thing I wanted to hear after Love Road… A piano version of Superman. It’s pretty much what the title tells you it is: Superman, slowed down to a proper ballad tempo with nothing but Crystal Kay’s vocals and the piano playing the song. Thankfully, they re-recorded the song entirely for this, because if they’d used her original vocals it would have sounded WAY out-of-place, but this is not something I would put past anyone. Thankfully, she did it the right way. Unfortunately, it’s just not something I can enjoy, even if it was a nice little spin on the cheerful song. I just don’t think it was necessary.

—

So, while I really only enjoyed the a-side on this single, it was one hell of an a-side to debut on a new label with. It’s a much better song than anything you would have heard on Spin The Music, unless we’re talking Konya wa No.1 or LOVE or GAME or Thank You For Talkin’ To Me Africa, the only songs I legitimately enjoyed off of the album. It’s gotten me hyped up for whatever she’s going to do next, now I’m only hoping that she won’t keep us waiting for too long for whatever that is.

Now, being a Holiday EP, this is actually a rather fitting cover, what with all the snow and all of that jazz. It’s also quite pretty, the art style is pleasant and traditional, and even though I can never get over my annoyance of not seeing a musician personally plugging their music on their covers, this is one I have no qualms over.

—

She’s starting the EP off with a cover, I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm is a cover of the classic song by Irving Berlin. The title pretty much gives it away; It’s an acoustic guitar-fronted track with a lot of vintage keyboard sounds and an all around atmosphere that almost actually feels warm, mostly helped by Ingrid’s vibrant, cheerful vocals. It’s the perfect way to open the EP, though my one gripe with is that it’s so damn SHORT, at about 2:36 in length. Get used to it, because this is the second longest song on here.

Taking things down a considerable amount, Snowfall opens with nothing but Ingrid’s vocals and a large harmony accompaniment behind her, with the piano coming in after the first go-through of the opening lyrics. When the backing vocals go from harmonizing to a lot of la’s and ah’s, it starts feeling a lot more appropriate for the EP, though it isn’t long before the piano, bass and drums come in and back it all up. It’s a slow song with a swinging time signature, and while it seems simple at first, it’s actually rather elaborate in its arrangement. It’s even shorter, at 2:25, but it doesn’t feel as bad this time. Perfect.

When The Leaves is another deceptive song; it’s merely Ingrid and an acoustic guitar in the opening, with an organ coming in after one go-through of the opening lyrics. Funnily enough, by the time they go through twice, the song’s half over and that’s when the strings start coming in, as well as a drum roll leading to silence and most acoustic guitar and vocals, with the organ coming in at half a bar this time, and the strings following soon after, though harmonies are added in again this time, before reaching another drum crescendo and ending. This song is CRIMINALLY short, because the dramatic mood it creates is pretty much begging for more time to work with.

Things are simple again this time, though without the deception. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, a traditional song, popularized by Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis. It’s simply Ingrid and the acoustic guitar (WITH an electric bass accompaniment, pardon my temporary deafness), with a nice little rustle in the background for atmosphere, as if it were being played off of vinyl or in front of a lightly crackling fire, ending the album on a really warm note. It’s quite odd that the EP got decreasingly lively as things went through, but it worked rather well, and this is a great way to end the album. Though giving the acoustic traditional song the most time to shine was a move I wasn’t, and am still not, too sure about.

—

However, I can’t deny that I thoroughly enjoyed this little release. While it’s more of a little sampler to tide you over until her album comes out in late January (without any of these songs on it), it was a great time to do something little like this in the name of promotion and just to capitalize on the season. Its only flaw was that it all lasted for just under ten minutes, when it’s not hard to see even two songs equal that length on a four song EP. However, the quality made up for it, so it’s a nice little thing to play around the Christmas season. Definitely a recommended listen for the holidays.

Once again, the problem I have with the cover is the damn band don’t appear on them. Which is a bigger problem this time because I could always use another excuse to stare at Andrew for a few hours. However, this cover is quite interesting, at least. I… Have no idea why a wave cat is trying to eat a multiple headed surfing cat, but it is a trippy image, which you’d expect from MGMT, I guess. It’s not terrible, anyway.

—

It’s Working isn’t really the kind of track I would’ve expected to open this album. It’s kind of a straight forward rock song, for all intents and purposes, merely consisting of the usual band instruments as well as a bit of harpsichord on the side to spice things up a bit. It’s got a kind of 80s vibe to it, which also isn’t really a surprise, and while it’s not the most interesting track ever, it’s a decent way to open up the album.

Then Song for Dan Treacy comes on, and it’s got a similar kind of sound to it, though the keys are trying to do some real warbling thing in the background in the occasional instrumental section, and… That’s about it, apart from the slower section in the middle. It’s okay, a lot catchier than the first song, though I can’t really place why. Andrew’s voice sounds great, at least.

To switch things up, Someone’s Missing comes in with a whole lot of ambiance and heavy reverb on the vocals, with nothing but a light drum beat and some sitar sounds to back it up. It builds up until more instruments start coming in, though it’s only about halfway through the song that things start picking up in volume a little, and then after a real flourishing section the last 45 seconds are a real upbeat little pop tune, which is where it ends. It’s not really disjointed at all, just slow to start, which isn’t the best thing considering it’s only about two and a half minutes long. But it’s done a good job of shaking things up.

Another quiet start comes up in Flash Delirium, though this time it only lasts for about 20 seconds before the band comes in. There’s something different about how Andrew sounds in this song, like he’s singing in a lower register, though he’s also putting some weird emphasis on certain words. There are some organ sounds over the top of the whole thing, which is the main thing that sets it apart from the other songs instrumentally, though there are quite a few vocals singing their own little thing in the background, as well as one or two big sections where they’re all reciting the same lines along with Andrew in more of a talking manner. It’s definitely catchier than you’d think it would be.

Slowing things down again, I Found A Whistle is mostly just a tambourine and the same organ sound with Andrew singing and a lot of ambient noises and birds chirping playing in the background. Rather similarly to Someone’s Missing, the band only comes in at the end of the song, only it’s more consistent and stays as more of a ballad all the way through. It does a better job than Someone’s Missing, though I’d say they’re still about even in quality.

And now I’m just having a heart attack, because Siberian Breaks is definitely the longest song on this album, clocking in at over twelve minutes. The only way to really explain this song is that it plays out in acts, if anything, consisting of a mid-tempo band jam at first, leading into a trippy section focusing around drums, guitars and a lot of beeping, otherworldly synths with Andrew singing over them every now and then, followed by another band session, and then a much brighter section similar to the middle one where the ambience is a lot lighter and the synths all kind of bubble and rise around each other until the song ends. So it’s… Kind of disjointed. And long-winded. So, take that as you will, but it’s a rather interesting little experience, at least. Not something I’d listen to all the time, though, because it could’ve really been separated into four tracks at this length. But kudos for taking the risk, I guess?

Thankfully, Brian Eno sets things back on track, reusing the regular band formula they’ve been taking for most of the album, though Andrew’s more talking over this song, as if reciting a story set to music, with the chorus being sung properly. And really, it’s definitely a story song, so the lyrics could take some paying attention to. It’s got a real sci-fi vibe to it, and it’s also insanely catchy at the same time, being one of the more upbeat songs so far… Until it breaks into a jazzy middle eight and leads straight back into the actual song. Don’t worry, it works. Really well. It’s a definite highlight on the album, and my personal favourite.

Then I really start getting worried, because I still don’t know what’s going on with Lady Dada’s Nightmare. It’s all instrumental, and it has a sort of retro movie feel to it at first, being a real piano and strings song with a few other sounds filling it out as well. Then you get to about 1:45 and the drums come in… As well as a lot of screaming. Like, a lot of screaming. Which, fittingly, sounds like it was sampled from an old horror movie or something. I… Really just don’t know what was going on here. The rest of the songs have ranged from good to amazing, but this song just kills it entirely.

But the album doesn’t end that way, and Congratulations, the title track, ends things off nicely with a slow jam. It’s actually the simplest song on the album, with the acoustic guitar, bass and drums being the mainstay instruments with a bit of tambourine backing up the snare hits. Some piano synths come in for the chorus to fill things out, and overall, topped off with Andrew’s singing (keeping away from weird inflections and such), make for a great end to the album. The clapping at the end was a nice touch too.

—

Not surprisingly coming from MGMT, this album left me wondering what the hell was going on quite a few times. Largely this was a good thing, even when it came to Siberian Breaks, but the album was totally and suddenly killed the second Lady Dada’s Nightmare was about halfway done. I just don’t even know whether I hate that song or not, I’m just scratching my head staring blankly at my laptop’s monitor right now.

That aside, it’s definitely an album I’d check out, because Andrew sounds fucking hot and looks even hotter because they’re a great band that deserve all of the hype, even if the album lacked anything like Electric Feel or other hits, and it’s psychedelic in quite a different way as well. Who cares, they’re good without those songs, and the new sound was great too. It just takes some time to grow. Maybe even Nightmare will grow on me. We’ll see.

You know, I really wish they would start actually appearing on their album covers, because Ed Macfarlane is one hot piece of a–I mean, because these covers are kind of boring the shit out of me. I guess it fits the title, considering it’s based on that novel about the island with the birds that do some special thing or another. I don’t know, I didn’t read it. But I do know I don’t like the cover.

—

One thing I’ll say about these guys is they damn well know how to open an album in the best way possible. Their first album had Jump In The Pool, easily the best song on their first album. This one has Live Those Days Tonight, an all-out mix of funk and dance mixed together with a bunch of ethereal synths and an extremely catchy drum line fused together to make one amazing song. Honestly, I can’t say anything bad about this. Just listen to it. Now. It’s so good you’ll probably need to change your pants.

And thank god, because things just keep on getting better. Honestly, only one thing comes to mind when I listen to Blue Cassette: It sounds like Florence + The Machine put through a synthesizer and pitched down to sound like a guy. The song keeps up the ethereal sound of the intro track, and the drums are relentlessly pounding in the chorus and like a storm waiting to awaken in the verses. And I say it reminds me of Florence’s work because of the way the verses to the chorus work, along with all of the epic sounds and the drums just endlessly beating away with an actual decent amount of bass, something which annoys me to no end in music sometimes. Why, yes, things did just get better.

Things go down a little bit at this stage, but the album still isn’t letting up yet. Running Away‘s intro leaves a little to be desired, with the deafening piano synth starting things off until the drums and bass come in and it all sort of blends together, creating something a little less focused on the dance aspect and maybe a little more on the funk. Yet again we have some ethereal synths, and Ed’s really singing out here, with a nice call and response in the chorus between his normal singing voice and his falsetto, which was something really nice to see after two songs with already great vocals. Another damn amazing track.

In the continued decline in energy on the album, Hawaiian Air follows up, sounding very much like you’d expect it to from the title. It’s nothing you’d hula to, but it’s got a real island vibe to it without really actually going so far as they did in Kiss of Life on their last album. This song is another example of why I love the drum work on this album so damn much, because they’ve got some really catchy stuff going on with that kit, mixed with the weird rewind sound and the ding every few seconds to kind of keep things light and a little playful. Honestly, I don’t need to say what the song’s doing much mood wise; the ethereal theme’s not letting up yet, though the level of quality means I really don’t care, because it works up to this point. The extra ethereal part at the end with the guitar flourishes and muddled ambience is just a perfect way to close the song too, dropping off into a few more repetitions of the title.

It’s at about THIS point when you realize the album’s kind of showing the signs of an upcoming rut, because Hurting is really pretty much just like almost every other song on the album so far at this point; Ethereal, mixing dance and funk,with a lot of pretty sounds and Ed sounding amazing. It’s not that I hate this song, though after quite a few tracks of amazing drum work to spice things up, things kind of take a huge dip here. The main saving factor is Ed’s vocals, because he’s bringing his falsetto out again. Probably one of the more forgettable songs.

And now we get to the title track and the bird on the cover suddenly makes more sense. Pala opens with nothing but bird sounds and the sounds of guitars, with some synths coming in pretty soon, and things get surprising; It’s a REAL slow jam, with nothing but a simple kick and snare beat playing for a good thirty seconds before a distorted guitar finally comes in. It’s a real slow build-up, and then you get to the absolutely blindingly bright chorus where synths keep building and building on each other before dropping down again for the verse. Yeah, it keeps the album’s theme up, but it was a perfect way to shake things up a little bit; going real simple instead of being half-assed about it.

Though the down-time’s over now, and we’re back to high energy dance funk with Show Me Lights, and it’s hard not to just rave about this song, because it’s probably the best song on here apart from Blue Cassette. It’s kind of not possible to say the song sounds different to the rest of the album, considering they really stuck to a consistent theme, but the insanely catchy drums are back, and when it gets to the post-chorus with an amazing little synth arpeggio behind the ethereal wall in sync with the drum work, and with the choruses where there’s a great little synth burst with every snare hit when it coincides with the Lights in the song title… It’s another song where the little details kind of make it twice as amazing.

And then things kind of take a huge step back to their debut album to break the theme that’s stuck so well for the past seven songs. This song’s more about having quirky little synths playing around the bass and drums, and it’s decidedly more straightforward. The normal synths for the album make a slight appearance in the chorus, but this is probably the most even of the songs on the album when it comes to the space the synths take up. It does break the monotony, but I’m not sure that was really the best idea in this case.

Though of course, the album doesn’t like to keep you waiting too long, so we’re back into the good stuff with Pull Me Back To Earth, which switches the focus from amazing drum work to a focus on the amazing guitar riff the verses have going instead, playing over a shuffling drum beat until the chorus where the synths and drums get their turn to wow you again. Really nothing you haven’t heard, but the switch of focus to a real guitar riff was a nice little touch.

Once again, Chimes continues the sound of the album well. I… Can’t say anything more than that. It’s great, but it’s the same thing, so I can’t describe it without repeating myself for the thousandth time. I mean, the focus on the chime synth was nice, considering the title and all, but… That’s about the only noticeable difference.

And then the album ends on a mid-tempo note with Helpless. More ethereal synths, some drums… Ed sounding great. That’s about it. I’ll leave it there.

iTunes purchasers get to end the album off with a cover of Depeche Mode’s Strangelove. It’s a middle point between the quirky first Friendly Fires album and the ethereal one we have right here. Quite frankly, I find this to be a better way to end the album, because it’s kind of different, and ends it on a good note instead of a repeated one. And god, I love hearing Ed break out the falsetto. That man has a voice. Definitely worth a listen to. Or just buy it for the dollar it is, because it’s worth it.

Amazon buyers? You get Stay Here instead, a collaboration with Azari & III. Now, this is a HUGE departure from the album’s sound, being a lot less ethereal and a bit more general with the synth use, and playing with repetition a lot more. In fact, it’s starting off a bit like a House track. Then it breaks into this place where synths are warbling and zipping all over the place. It’s all actually rather tribal, and it takes about two minutes for vocals to come in, starting with the collaborator, with Ed following up. It gets a little ethereal later on, but the tribal feel applies for most of the song, and honestly? It’s damn AMAZING. It should have been on the damn regular edition of the album, it’s so good. Listen to this. Seriously.

—

I must say, this is a bit of an exhausting album to review. When you can keep one sound to a record and still keep it from being boring for about 9 out of your 11 tracks, you know you’re doing something right. And then the bonus tracks come in and just shake things up entirely making this album even BETTER. Do yourself a favour. Check this album out. You won’t be disappointed at all, because it is honestly the best album of 2011.

…I’m going to be honest, I barely even have any idea what’s going on with this cover. I guess the cut and past style isn’t a new thing for them, so it’s kind of nice to see that being a bit of a theme, I guess… But I’m still not too sure about it. I’ve seen better before. And MUCH worse.

—

There’s no better song to open an album with than I Love You. It’s a mid-tempo jam, packed with bleeping video game synths and electric guitars blaring in the background, with Lovefoxx’s (Henceforth called Luísa, because I’d rather use her real name) vocals over the top, and some occasional male vocals responding to things she says that really bring things down a notch. The bridge puts a bit more focus on the synths and goes into an almost call-and-response style musically, with a bit more singing out (read: yelling). It’s not the best song ever, but it’s solid.

Then Hits Me Like A Rock, the first single from the album, comes up, making an interesting transition from some straight-up synth rock to some reggae, using a similar synth-and-guitar style. However, the mentioned reggae flavour makes the song infinitely more interesting, and Luísa is sounding a lot better over this song. The one thing that really kills the song is the featured artist, Bobby Gillespie, some guy from some band whose voice I really don’t like, especially since it just kind of clashes. Though the rest of the song is great. It’s just his sections that kill the buzz.

What do you do after a reggae track? Open a song with some full-on flamenco guitars with some ambient synths giving it all an ethereal feel, then follow it up with abrasive alarm synths and vocals. That’s City Grrrl in a nutshell. Honestly, after this intro, the verses are kind of boring and quite similar to something like I Love You, though then the chorus (the second half of the intro) comes in, followed by a second repetition including flamenco guitars and some trumpets. A trend is kind of forming here, because this time Ssion’s got a verse, and again it kills the buzz accordingly. Not that I know who the hell he is even after Googling him, but he’s got a very stereotypically gay style of speaking, so it’s a bit… Fitting, for a song about moving to New York, actually. So, it’s a hot ass mess of a song. But a good one.

First reggae, then flamenco. What’s up next? Echo of Love makes things a bit more tropical, with some acoustic and electric guitar and some echoing claps for a backing track, followed by the addition of some steel drum sounds and some call-and-response between Luísa and the backing vocals in the chorus. It’s strangely tame after what we’ve heard so far, but that’s kind of what makes it so charming compared to the in your face introduction the album had in its first three songs. The warbling vocals before the guitar solo are a bit out-of-place, but five seconds of that is something I’m willing to bear for this song, because it’s definitely the most consistent yet.

Going back to a more familiar route and sounding a bit like I Love You with a piano, You Could Have It All comes in, slowing things down again. Again, the song’s kind of stripped back a bit and a lot less abrasive, though the pounding drums mixing with the piano and the distant guitars all works well together to give the song a real airy, dream-like feel. Even Luísa’s vocals sound distant in the mix, so it’s all sounding a bit pushed back until the piano comes in for the choruses and gives us something more up-front, though still packed with reverb. Probably the best song on the album so far.

And then things get real simple with the title track, La Liberación. This is basically a real garage rock tune, with drums, bass, guitar and vocals being all you’ll find. This is actually the first and only non-English track on the album, being sung in Portuguese instead, which really isn’t that strange for a Brazilian band. At 2:12 in length, it’s very short compared to the rest of the album, but Luísa sounds a lot more comfortable in this language, so the song has a better flow to it compared to the rest because of this. It’s got the most raw energy to it, which the album kind of needed at this point, so it’s definitely worth listening to.

When I saw that Partners in Crime was another collaboration track, I was scared at first. However, Mike Garson is actually a pianist, so you know what this means for the song. It’s actually rather similar to La Liberación, in that it’s another song without synth use, focusing on the natural sound of the band. Now, the instrumental work in the chorus of this song is AMAZING, and the entire thing just sounds perfect. In fact, I could say that about the entire song. Apart from the piano. It’s this long, flowing piano line under the song that sounds as if it should be a solo performed at its own concert. Needless to say, it sounds terribly out-of-place, as if it was just lined under the rest of the song for little reason. Probably the only thing that ruins the song.

Funnily enough, Ruby Eyes is basically Partners in Crime with less punchy drums and no piano, with a bit of synth in their place. Really, it’s a good song, but… All you can really notice is how similar it is to the last song. It probably should’ve been placed somewhere on the album so this fact wasn’t as apparent, but it’s still a decent song.

Though the chain of familiar songs breaks up with Rhythm to the Rebels. It’s largely band-based again, with some real screeching guitars and a lot of distorted synth noise in the background, making things sound a little cluttered. It all kind of blends together, so it just sounds like one big wall of noise, albeit not to the degree you’d hear in noise pop or anything. It’s kind of forgettable after quite a few great songs, though.

Thankfully, things change in the next song, our last collaboration. Now, we have some piano again, but Red Alert uses it mostly in the intro, because very soon it goes into a mixture of guitar, sparse pounding drums and some slight synth ambiance. It’s the quietest song on the album, but at the same time it has the most substance to it. It’s mostly under this title because it’s about how someone makes you (well, the protagonist) feel, so don’t expect anything loud or assaulting. However, it’s easily the best song on the record. It’s not trying too hard to impress, and it isn’t just sticking itself straight into your face. The guest production from Ratatat helped make the song even better.

Ending off the album is the big carefree anthem of the album. Fuck Everything is another track quite similar to the title track, though it’s a bit less raw and better produced. It’s also the shortest song on the album, at 2:16. It’s extremely catchy, and probably the best way to end the album, with the rising middle 8 involving sudden saxophone parts and a solo afterwards to give it a nice climactic end, closing on a simple beat with a repetition of the title. If you keep it playing after it’s done, there’s a slight experimental music section with a monologue afterwards, but it’s nothing to really take seriously. More of a joke, really.

—

I’ve been a fan of CSS since their first album, and I can safely say that this may actually be their best yet. It’s a little more serious than their first album, with a lot more variation than their second, and better production values all around. It’s a good album for anyone into indie rock or synth-pop to check out, though it could still be quite iffy for certain people, with its split focus between the two sounds while still retaining an overall theme in the production.