Beyoncé - 4

It almost goes without saying that Beyoncé Knowles is the queen of pop. There seems to be few artists who can compete with her when it comes to talent and on top of that, there are few who invest so much effort in trying to produce quality, both musically and on stage. Ultimately one can only stand in awe at this woman, as beautiful as she is talented and yet without t ever coasting. And still, she needed to redeem herself after the whole Sasha Fierce debacle back in 2008, a somewhat unbalanced ego-trip, excelling more in vocal swagger and trend recycling than in trying to unravel the inner psyche of the singer and her stage alter ego Sasha Fierce. In spite of good intentions, it was mainly Knowles’ voice and sincerity that salvaged the deal, although nothing could mask the fact that for the first time in her career, the singer has lost her musical edge to the newer – and to make thing worse less talented – generation of female pop singers.

Still, there is something about Beyoncé that demands awe and respect. That said, recording an album requires different skills. Without the physical presence, artists can generally fall back on one of two strategies. They could either do what is of-the-moment, thus appealing to a broad, usually not very critical audience. Or they stay the course, and bet it all on quality and credibility. The first option has never been Knowles’ thing – something I Am… quite painfully showed. Even if it’s a hit-and-miss game, the queen of R&B will think twice before she’d caught settling for the mediocrity of a niche that inherently like to keep standards low – especially when the others do it better. It’s not so much that flexibility is not her thing, rather is seemed somewhat beneath a singer of her caliber to be chasing Rihanna on her turf. It made for an uncomfortable split jump while in reality the hierarchy should work the other way around.

All in all Knowles is at her best when she is the fierce, empowered independent women she put forward with songs like ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘Diva’ or during her Destiny’s Child years. ‘Ladies if you love your man show him you’re the flyest’, the singer sings in Countdown. Of course none of those ladies stand a chance against B, but that aside you believe her. And lead single ‘Run the World (Girls)’ is actually quite a pleasant surprise, with its Major Lazor sample and vintage Beyoncé tenor. It’s never a complete gamble of course when you’ve got top producer Switch behind the mixing board with a sample that already proved its hit sensitivity in the club scene last year, but it is refreshing nonetheless. Not so great are some of the ballads on 4, which all too often sound stereotypical, a typical symptom of the notorious co-writer syndrome. ‘Best Thing I Never Had’ could have been written for almost any direct competitor and contrasts a bit too sharply with Knowles’ own domestic situation to retain some degree of credibility. And the theatrics reach their boiling point with ‘I Was Here’ which feels somewhat contrived for someone who so clearly still is here, perhaps now more than ever before. A better title might have been ‘I wasn’t here before, but I got my act together and I’m back now’, but of course that wouldn’t have had the same ring to it.

What is pleasant to see however is that instead of pursuing another somewhat insecure and strained attempt to remain with it, Beyoncé found her own voice again, regardless of what all the competition is doing. Truthfully, it wouldn’t have hurt to raise the bar just a tad when it comes to the writing on some of the ballads, but rather than sounding like an assortment of Rihanna-leftovers, Knowles is at least once again doing her own thing. Of course, that thing is contemporary R&B, a genre that is in general as reluctant to innovate as it is genuinely uninspired. It’s for that reason the dancehall-inspired ‘Run the World’ sounds so much like the odd one out on this album. While it is a well-intended attempt to step somewhat out of the box, it is so far from the musical direction of the rest of 4 that it almost does more harm than good. But while R&B may be a style of music that seems to measure quality by the degree of conformity to the market and the number of musical and lyrical clichés (love, betrayal, female empowerment and reusing the same generic beats over and over again), it’s laudable to see at least someone strong enough to resist the temptation of eurodance that infected R&B like a flesh-eating disease ever since David Guetta discovered the formula to turn his crap into gold (follow that lead, Amerie).

And the competition is fierce. There’s the kooky, yet ravishing girl next-door, who makes up for an obvious lack in vocal skills with her effortless charm. There is the eccentric, self-proclaimed pop-avant-gardist, who spends such a huge amount of her time trying to convince the world of the fact that she is somehow playing in a different league than the competition – contrary to what her at times uninspired tunes could suggest – all the while detaching herself more and more from the grips of reality, that it is nothing short of a miracle that she manages to produce records at all. There’s the gorgeous trend-hopper and Chris Brown survivor, who changes styles like a chameleon, all the while swopping personalities like Keanu Reeves. And heck, for the sake of argument you could even add the likes of Britney, Ke$ha, Nicki and J-Lo (thanks for nothing, Simon Cowell) to that list (but let’s not, though). But who (still) runs this world? In the end, it’s Beyoncé, whose overwhelming poise and stage presence can be paralleled by no one. To quote both the amazing Grace Jones and Duffy: ‘Well, Well, Well’.

Track List

1. 1+1

2. I Care

3. I Miss You

4. Best Thing I Never had

5. Party (ft. Andre 3000 & Kanye West)

6. Rather Die Young

7. Start Over

8. Love on Top

9. Countdown

10. End of Time

11. I Was Here

12. Run the World (Girls)

Jessica 6 - See The Light

Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y, Nomi Ruiz has been steadily building up her career as a singer for a number of years. In 2005 she released her solo debut album ‘Lost In Lust’ through her own independent label Park Side Records, after which she was able to tour with artists like Debbie Harry and CocoRosie. In 2008 she finally rose to prominence when she featured on Andrew Butler’s nu-disco collective and hodgepodge of sexualities Hercules and Love Affair alongside Kim-Ann Foxman and Antony Hegarty. There she met with bassist Andrew Raposo and keyboardist Morgan Wiley, who were also part of the Hercules live show, and the trio hit it of musically. Thus Jessica 6 was conceived. So when Butler started working on his follow-up album with Hercules, Ruiz seized the opportunity to further pursue her newly founded solo-project. The name stems from the eponymous fictional character in the 1967 novel ‘Logan’s Run’, in which one individual attempts to break free from a society in which people are systematically terminated upon reaching the age of 30.

Truthfully speaking, my main concern was that Jessica 6 could end up revolving more around front woman Nomi Ruiz, completely overshadowing the musical side of the project – which now obviously lacked Andrew Butler’s button magic. However, See The Light is not the overly eccentric, queer-disco extravaganza is could have turned into, nor does it prove that Ruiz’ assets as an artist were primarily accommodated to her by the people she worked with. Quite contrarily, See The Light is a pretty interesting mash-up of both Ruiz’ earlier, hip-hop beginnings and the hip nu-disco sounds of Hercules and Love Affair – thanks to Raposo and Wiley – topped with some nineties eurohouse and a mild portion of camp. Opener ‘White Horse’ instantly sets the mood: cleverly composed club dance and sleek, subtle vocals seek to evoke the New York club scene and succeed fairly well at doing so. Music about breaking taboos and the irreligious mixed with sweet romances and high-camp, Raposo once described their musical sense of direction, and that’s pretty much what they’re achieving.

Despite obviously not disposing of the greatest vocal range, Ruiz’ tone of voice nonetheless forms the perfect addition to Raposo’s dark beats. That said the dark-haired diva is the incontrovertible star of the album, epitomizing the dark yet sexy sound Jessica 6 aspires to. With her sensual, androgynous vocals, seductive allure and flamboyant stage presence she lifts the whole to a new. More often than not, Ruiz and co strike just the wright tone musically, not in the least with their first release, ‘Fun Girl’. But the undisputed highlight of See The Light has got to be without any doubt the sublime nu-disco track ‘Prisoner of Love’, reminiscent to Hercules and Love Affair 1.0 ánd featuring their sweet-voiced, former Hercules-colleague Antony Hegarty. The club like bass beat and melancholic synth complement one another seamlessly, but it’s the track’s vocals that really strengthens the emotional intensity. Hegarty and Ruiz evinced their vocal complementarity on ‘You Belong’ and this follow up under a new constellation.

Interesting to see, is the variety of styles jammed onto See The Light. With the sleek, melancholic nu-disco ballad ‘Good To Go’ and the extremely stripped down ‘Not Anymore’ the trio proves its capability to strike a chord emotionally, without having to overcharge the songs. Life is not always fun and games, and that side of the N.Y. city nightlife also finds its place here. After the Hercules-tour Ruiz returned to New York to pick up where she left off with her solo career, but ended up ‘getting lost in indulgence, partying, falling in love, lusting, being sleazy and depressed, that whole kind of cycle’, as she recalled in an interview with V Magazine. The result was an album in part reflected that, ‘kind of like a diary’. It’s precisely that nuanced, autobiographical layer that makes this so much more than your typical run of the mill Brooklyn-based hipster project. See The Light not only captures the NYC club scene brilliantly, it also reflects a much more personal story within that story.  Whether it’s the glitzy nineties eurohouse of ‘Freak The Night’, the campy club gems ‘In The Heat’ or ‘U Motion’ or the more introspective tracks like ‘Prisoner of Love’, they all help formulate a broader picture. On

Outro ‘Six’ perhaps forms the most intriguing two minutes of the whole album and makes you wonder what See The Light could have sounded like had that slightly more experimental path been explored a little more. But that feels like nitpicking, since as a whole Jessica 6 manages to deliver something fresh, which is both club friendly and entertaining, while still staying true to their original vision. And meanwhile, Nomi Ruiz is on the way of becoming one of music’s iconic figures, even if only a small number of people are aware of it.

Tracklist

1. White Horse

2. See The Light

3. Prisoner Of Love (ft. Antony)

4. In The Heat

5. Jessica Jessica

6. Freak The Night

7. Good To Go

8. Fun Girl

9. Not Anymore

10. Blessed Mother

11. U Motion

12. Stars In Your Eyes

13. Six

Lady Gaga - Born This Way

The highly anticipated new album was set out to be rougher than its predecessor, rawer and with a rock edge to it. That is definately the case, but au fond not much has changed. Lady Gaga herself is still about as subtle as a freight train, Haus of Gaga remains little more than a desperately sustained mirage and she finally confirms - implicitly - that the message is in fact more important than the music. 

One question many were interested in finding the answer to was if Lady Gaga would finally be able to walk the walk with this follow-up to The Fame, her commercial break-through from 2008. What about those heckling Gaga for making artistic claims she can hardly live up to? Well, there’s still no argument there. Of course in part Gaga did this to herself, in raising the bar to such high levels she was unable to attain them – for that her music always lacked true originality and at least one extra dimension. What is worse is that it seems that she’s not even trying to live up to any musical expectations. The problem with Born this Way musically is twofold. First of all there is no denying that Gaga’s musical vision consists in ravaging the pop archives, while at the same time copying and pasting the best bits from anything she can lay her hands on under the guise of divine inspiration. That in itself isn’t even the real issue though (although a little acknowledgement wouldn’t hurt either). The underlying tragedy, however, is the questionable frame of reference from which Born This Way was compiled, an occasionally clever, but rarely original mix of Madonna’s best years, nineties eurodance and some of the most generic dance beats available today. And granted, the US was largely spared from the horrors of eurotrash, but making up for that now can hardly be considered avant-garde.

One artist is never far away on Born This Way and that’s Madonna, the queen herself whose throne Gaga so eagerly preys. Pushing boundaries since the early eighties – and pretty much coasting since the late nineties, Madonna has defined mainstream pop music and left few taboos left to break. That creates substantial difficulties for Gaga, who has experienced similar issues with previous releases, showcasing an inability to create music that is as groundbreaking as her personality – or at least carry the same shock value. Either way, Born This Way is quite heavily indebted to that wretched woman who did it all first. Not always quite as in the face as ‘Born This Way’, which essentially borrows an entire melody line. But more often than not a picture springs to mind including enigmatic black and white imagery, androgynous dancers, vogueing and – referencing the post-2000 Madonna – soft-core porn with a club-dance soundtrack. One the one hand it’s fairly disappointing to see her copy Madge – the proverbial grandmother monster – so gratuitously, as if innovation in the pop scene reached its end point with the release of Like a Prayer back in 1989. On the other hand it’s sad to see her add so little of her own interpretation to musical ideas many of which are older than her.

Not that Born This Way is a bad record. Part of its strength stems from the fact that like no other Lady Gaga knows how to create pop anthems. She did so with ‘Poker Face’, repeated the trick with ‘Bad Romance’ and ‘Born This Way’ completed the hat trick – not a particularly good song, but a resilient son-of-a-bitch. Lyrically it almost sounded as if she had gone a little bit soft, but the song’s forceful, almost aggressive club beat, made almost everyone forget that in essence ‘Born This Way’ was a fairly mediocre B-version of its predecessor. Same goes for ‘Judas’, which is about as literal as you can go in emulating your own work, without ameliorating. Songs like ‘Government Hooker’ – a pretty decent piece of electro pop - and ‘Bad Kids’ prove though, that in the end Lady Gaga knows how to make a pop record, perhaps better than anyone. It’s when she exaggerates the least, that she creates truly enjoyable tracks. The other half of the album contains tracks like ‘Black Jesus – Amen Fashion’ – a pretty straight-up Madonna-reference complete with the very retro line ‘Jesus is the new black’ (Hello, 1988? You want your provocative-for-the-time reference to Catholicism back?). Or ‘Scheisse’, with its delightfully distasteful eurodance sound and German lyrics, a track that is both vulgar and irresistible, which is pretty amazing to pull off. And in the end it does prove that Born This Way ís a pretty okay record, despite what criticisms I may have. What it is not, however, is an interesting record. Club anthems – no matter how strong – have a limited scope in the long run and some of the more eccentric choices on the album risk going out of style soon – to the extent they haven’t already. ‘Americano’ is a prime example, leaving you somewhat in doubt as to whether you’re listening to a pop singer or a drag queen on a theme night.

So to sum up, Born This Way is a far cry from the milestone it was set out to be. After two years of the benefit of the doubt Lady Gaga finally followed suit in the way that she removed all doubt as to what she is about as an artist. And that is not Gaga, reinventer of pop, bringer of a new kind of pop music. Anno 2011 producing easily digestible dance tracks with a hint of eccentricity seems about as far as Gaga wishes to diverge from the norm. Maximum inclusion is the goal, a goal for which anything that could even remotely put of anyone is cleverly avoided, resulting in disappointingly ordinary songs. And then it dawned on me: What Gaga is really about transcends the musical level. She represents a concept, a lifestyle, a vision of a better society in which racial, sexual and ideological differences no longer exist. Just a shame she so blatantly neglected the musical side of her story.

But then again, that was probably never her real intent. Make no mistake, Gaga and everything surrounding her has little to do with art, not even loosely. And in these times of cross-media culture that is just as much a part of the total concept. Not the most essential component tough, and it’s a shame that Gaga seems satisfied with uniting as many people as possible under the flag of tolerance, when she could be doing that while also rethinking the sound of pop music. But who knows, maybe she’ll surprise us someday in coming up with something genuinely innovative –Madonna managed pulled Ray of Light out of her sleeve in 1998, before finally succumbing to complete and utter irrelevance. So who knows? Meanwhile Born This Way is a let-down, establishing Gaga once and for all as a pop singer – and a crafty one at that – but far from a pop visionary. And while there is no shame in that, if your plan is to overtake the world then ‘no worse than the others with an occasional stroke of above-average’ just doesn’t cut it.

Tracklist

1. Marry The Night

2. Born This Way

3. Government Hooker

4. Judas

5. Americano

6. Hair

7. Scheisse

8. Bloody Mary

9. Black Jesus - Amen Fashion

10. Bad Kids

11. Fashion of His Love

12. Highway Unicorn

13. Heavy Metal Lover

14. Electric Chapel

15. The Queen

16. Yoü and I

17. The Edge Of Glory

Katy B live @ Botanique (Orangerie)

Summary: ‘This right here I swear will end too soon’

Katy B is one of the few female pop singers that manage to create a distinct sound and produce smart, above-average lyrics, putting her in good company (La Roux, Robyn). Her performance last week at the Orangerie (Botanique) was not sensational, but her intelligent mix of dubstep, house, garage and pop sounds in combination with a range of strong songs and a colorful personality proved quite entertaining.

There was no support act opening for Katy B during her Belgian gig last Thursday, and I personally didn’t really mind, as it saved me about 30 minutes of pretending. Don’t get me wrong, support acts sometimes prove to be something of a revelation (Rowdy Superst*r opening for Patrick Wolf last month), and on rare occasions hey can even outplay the main act (that same Rowdy Superst*r opening for Patrick Wolf last month). But an unusually early exam preceded by getting up at an untimely hour and undercompensated by staying up too late (granted, the latter should always be avoided) can wear a guy down, let me tell you. But make no mistake, after her fantastic debut ‘On A Mission’ I was still pretty excited to find out to what extent Katy B could live up my expectations during a live performance. Extra reason to be excited, it was her first gig outside the UK, making it a pretty special event.

Katy B managed to engage the crowd right from the start, not least thanks to her surprisingly diverse band (smart move choosing to include a trumpet and saxophone player). Despite her young age, B showed herself quite the entertainer. As disconnected as Patrick Wolf had seemed, that’s how much fun B was having, something she wanted to share with the audience. Songs like ‘Disappear’, ‘Go Away’, ‘Witches Brew’ and ‘Movement’ were all it took to start a party. In between songs, B took some time to get to connect with the people, which was much appreciated. ‘Easy Please Me’ went out to all the guys – along with the advice to put in some effort – and ‘Perfect Stranger’ was accompanied with an encouragement to find your inner dance (‘everyone has their little dance’) and get acquainted with the person next to you. ‘On A Mission’ was saved for last, after which the band returned for ‘Lights Off’ and album bonus track ‘Water’.

In many ways Katy B is everything Jessie J (eerie, isn’t it?) aspires to be. She’s got attitude, without feeling an urge to show off. Her clever and subtle sampling makes for a sound that is still broad enough for large audiences, without leaning to the middle of the road. And vocally she’s staying true to her own style, without sounding overly pedantic. Altogether Katy B left a solid first impression on the European continent and there’s no doubt that there is room for improvement (she’s only 21!). Not quite perfect yet, but close. Which leaves me with just one lame pun to sign out with: B+ (*)!

(*) told you it was lame

CocknBullKid - Adulthood

Two heavily anticipated pop albums were released this Monday, both by female artists claiming some sort of guiding role in today’s pop world. Overlooking the fact that I am likely the only person in the world who would put this one on the same level as the Mother Monster herself, this review could at least show that is more than one possible guiding star in the heavenly firmament.

Two long years it’s been since I first discovered the musical stylings of London-based artist Anita Blay, aka CocknBullKid. Back then she went by the pen name of thecocknbullkid (that’s no apostrophes and all lower case). She released two singles (‘On My Own’ in 2008 and ‘I’m Not Sorry’ the next year) and one EP – Querelle. Self-proclaimed UK pop hope, Blay proved to be one of few artists that can actually walk the walk they talk about. Her songs didn’t only set, but raised the standards of what pop songs ought to sound like: poppy and light as a feather – carried wonderfully by Blay’s distinctive voice – but counterbalanced with the perfect amount of emotional baggage, smart lyrics and exciting musical arrangements to surpass the 12-minute lifespan of the average pop music contraption. After her debut EP she went off the radar again – to the extent that she had ever actually been on the radar –exploring a vast array of musical influences trying to establish a sound of her own and working on her debut album. And that nearly two-year long process has now resulted in Adulthood, already one of the top pop albums of the year.

So suffice to say she took her sweet time. And on that note, opening track Adulthood feels more like an intro stretched to the length off a full song than anything else. The next track – CocknBullKid – really sets the tone of Blay’s (slightly changed) style. And kids, you better hold on to your stockings, because this is going to be a rollercoaster of happy thought – or at least happy approach to bad thoughts. Adulthood has an almost therapeutic feel to it and in itself there is not much novelty value to that – fighting adversity is one of the open doors in the pop scene. Still, Blay manages to put something extra on the table in the way she executes that concept.  ‘Hold on to Your Misery’ is one of more incredibly upbeat tracks, and tackles bad feelings in such a childlike naïveté is can’t help but charm. ‘Hold on to what makes you cold; wear it like a badge of pride wherever you go’.   By now it should be clear that in its essence, Blay’s music centers around an overwhelming sensation of optimism.

Equally irresistible is Blay’s take on a love song – ‘One Eye Closed’ – in which she takes on the challenge of convincing her target of the predestination of their love. And she does it in undiluted Cocknbullkid-style: sweet, decisive and with a huge amount of optimism. ‘Every day is torture, but every day I come a little closer; you can run but I’ll run faster’. But just when you feel you’re about to overdose on all that sweet stuff, Blay manages to either strike an emotional chord or lace her songs with a side of humor or sarcasm. ‘Dumb’ for instance, which shows Blay contemplating over a failed love (‘I know it’s over, but still; I know, it’s dumb’) is simple, but it will crawl under your skin. On ‘I Deserve It’ Blay plays the role of a friend that screwed up, but doesn’t run away from her responsibility. It’s just that mature, approachable and joyful attitude that epitomizes CocknBullkid as an artist. And that even makes the silly bad-ass rant at the end of the song bearable. ‘Happy Birthday’ – quite possibly one of the funniest and saddest birthday songs – makes for a delightfully sardonic epilogue.

From time to time CocknBullKid could sound a little more ballsy (I had to have it!), and that is mostly because her earlier music suggested that her name was an actual statement, rather than just a name. At first glance, one could assert that Blay lost some of her edge, compared to her 2008-’09 releases. And there is definitely some validity to that assertion. It’s hard to look past the incredibly in your face, optimistic, streamlined-to-perfection nature of the album, a veritable pinnacle of poppiness.  So yes, it would appear as if CocknBullKid shifted slightly towards the center. And one could wonder why someone who lists M.I.A and Little Richard as musical influences would need two years to come up with the less-than-revolutionary final sound she did. Especially given that that sounds feels like a polished version of a more snappy original draft.

But on the other hand, it might be good to refrain for once from the kind of musical snobbery that applauds artists who turn their back on mainstream music as explicitly as M.I.A. (to name one) does, while condemning anyone who decides to go with a strategy opposite to that. There is, after all, nothing wrong with pop music, and there is no use regretting what could have been. And on the whole Adulthood sets itself apart from the crowd more than sufficiently to remain the shimmer of light in the ever more one-dimensional mainstream pop scene I hoped it would be. The album is about love, without falling in the pitfalls of corniness, it’s about facing life head-on, without sounding like a self-help pamphlet. It’s basically a 46-minute optimism-high that should at least form a tiny part in everybody’s path to adulthood. And in that CocknBullKid lives up to her claims of being one of the UK’s pop hopes.

Tracklist

1. Adulthood

2. CocknBullKid

3. Hold On To Your Misery

4. Yellow

5. One Eye Closed

6. Distractions

7. Bellyache

8. Mexico

9. Asthma Attack

10. Hoarder

11. Dumb

12. I Deserve It

13. Happy Birthday

Jamie Woon - Mirrorwriting

Sweet-voiced troubadour Jamie Woon has released with Moonwriting an album held together almost entirely by subtlety. Alongside James Blake, Woon represented the more demure, subdued and pensive side of the BBC's sounds short list. Some balance, against all the young female theatrics (Clare Maguire) and slightly pedantic überpop (Jessie J). His current single 'Lady Luck' is all about that. The video shows the pensive singer, being driven around town, lost in thoughts. Being carried away by the anonimity of city life. Debut Single 'Night Air' shares a similar distant vibe. One third smooth dub-beats, one third irrestistible dance-track and one third Woon's gorgeous, soulful voice was one of the highlights of early 2011 and a light fixture in the dark, cold times associated with those horrible end of winter weeks.

 

Let's get one thing straight though. Woon is all too often pushed into the post-dub box, while in fact that is not really the sound he is after. Or more accurate, it's a far too narrow description. In reality, he ranges from dubstep influences over soul to even R&B. It's a conscious choice, the singer explained in interviews, seen as how for it works so much better with his smooth, warm voice. The son of British folf singer Mae McKenna grew up in a musical environment, but after graduating from the BRIT School, he took his time to find his place, meanwhile supporting Amy Winehouse, among other things. The result of that is that at 28, he is able to present a debut that reflects not only his undisputable talents as a singer-songwriter, but also a certain degree of maturity he would not have had 5 years ago. Jamie Woon is one who stands out in the crowd, without explicity standing out in the crowd, or trying to. In a sense, it's a very old-fashioned approachIf James Blake is the posterboy for the 2011 post-dubstep generation, then Jamie Woon is much the same for a rekindled neo-soul generation. 

Tracklist
1. Night Air
2. Street
3. Lady Luck
4. Shoulda
5. Middle
6. Spirits
7. Echoes
8. Spiral
9. TMRW
10. Secondbreath
11. Gravity
12. Waterfront

Architecture in Helsinki - Moment Bends

Tagline: 'Alphabeat on valium'

On their fourth long player, Australian indie pop band  Architecture in Helsinki does what it does best: making a record composed entirely out of enthusiasm, happy thoughts and streamlined, bubblegum pop songs. Moreover, it might just be their most accessible album thus far. Moment Bends is one of those albums you could probably describe as a little mellow - although some might argue that it is rather very mellow. Whether or not that is a good thing, will depend on whose listening, but either way it is very irresistible music. 

Moment Bends takes of with the dreamy 'Dessert Island', a soft-voiced love song, floating on a smooth synth vibe. And what else but a pan flute  is throw into the mix to pimp up the whole thing. The song is followed by even more excitement with 'Escapee', a virtually weightless air bubble of a song, breating
More bouncy-bouncy electropop in 'Yr Go To', a song so obnoxiously happy, it almost hurts (the wedding bells!). But by then, you'll probably already be sucked into the vortex, so there's a chance you won't mind. On 'Sleep Talkin' it will be hard no to imagine lying on a bed of fluffy white clouds, while wearing a night gown and night cap. And on 'I Know Deep Down' we reach the blissful pinnacle of the album's sugar sweet happy vibe. Perceptive listeners will notice how the first note strikingly ressembles the opening tone of Justin Bieber's 'Baby'. If you're not hearing that, it's because you don't want to (an understandable case of selective deafness), but it's a great song either way. Another enjoyable track it 'That Beep', which was released as the lead single of their That Beep EP back in 2008. Like so much on the record, any efforts to find some tangible depth will be fruitless on this track once again, but the playfulness and sincere excitement with which the band brings the song make up for a lot. In fact, for those who secretly don't mind the extreme optimism Architecture in Helsinki shares with the Danes of Alphabeat, Moment Bends will most likely contain few flaws.

And now for the bad news: at times the band's sweetness can start to annoy a little. After a while the album can start to feel like one long valium-induced trip. Joyful, but also a bit numb and over-the-top in a bit of an artificial way and believe me, after half an album that can start to tire. In a way Moment Bends sometimes evoked the sensation I experienced as a kid playing Tombi, after he had defeated the Forest Evil Pig (aka the light blue one), thus bringing the dwarf village back to its original state of joy. Sure, I'd happy for the dwarves, but the unbareable lightness of their existence and even more so the excrutiatingly empathic, mellifluent tunes that went with the new world, would strongly dissuade me from spending much more time there. Much like that obscure 1990's gaming reference, Architecture in Helsinki will probably not speak to everyone, nor will its lightness appeal to everyone. But in small doses there should be a time and place in everybody's life for bouncy pop tunes, soft, dreamy vocals and the whole fanfare thing. And sure, on the wrong timing it may also lead to a murderous rage. But it's still worth giving a try. You never know. 


Value seekers may want to check out their second album In Case We Die, which offers just a little more avant-garde and just a little less indie pop. And if it can all sound a little more grown up, their fellow Australians from Cut Copy might be your thing.

Tracklist
1. Desert Island
2. Escapee
3. Contact High
4. W.O.W.
5. Yr Go To
6. Sleep Talkin
7. I Know Deep Down
8. That Beep
9. Denial Style
10. Everything's Blue
11. B4 3D