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Cut Copy's main man Dan Whitford is described by his website
biography as a 1970s MOR fetishist, but his band, like so many at the
moment, take a look at 1980s Manchester for their principal influences.
Crucially they integrate this with an eye on the future, employing a
tactic
or two from the French school of catchy, robotic dance music, and
adding
some breathy, captivating vocals into the bargain.
Whitford initially went solo with his I Thought Of Numbers EP, the
first
under the Cut Copy moniker, but for this album he recruited a band and
filled out his sound somewhat. These new options he uses to great
effect,
able to beef up the guitar sound on Going Nowhere with a dark, moody
colouring, its lightly vocoded lyrics inward looking in the manner of
Joy Division but without the rawness.
The tracks more obviously geared toward the dancefloor work
handsomely. Future employs the filter trick with a twist, breaking into a piece of
irresistible funk. Saturdays has a killer chorus, a subtle euphoria in
the intonation "there is a feeling in me, and I don't know why", its
breezy appeal sure to entice fans of Mylo. Here and elsewhere the
influence of Daft Punk is also key, but not overwhelming, as in That
Was
Just A Dream, which builds into something akin to Republic-era
New Order, spun over more obviously club bound beats. Again the
filter sees use, but once more in a tasteful way that suits the ebb and
flow of the song.
The albums structure is curious and somewhat ineffective at the
end, as
it seems to contain a couple of false endings. However this proves to
be a bonus in the case of Bright Neon Payphone, as just when the record
seems to have disappeared over the horizon, up pops another uplifting vocal on
Dream.
What this record achieves best of all is a fusion of guitar based
songwriting and electronic beats, integrating the two effortlessly to
greatly uplifting effect. These songs are strong enough to hold their
own without the beats, but when charged up they gain a strong rhythmic edge
that makes dancing a formality. An excellent album for the fringes of
any electronic music collection.
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