Strange Places

Places Like This
Architecture in Helsinki
Polyvinyl, 2007
3 stars

I don't know what happened - the last thing I knew Architecture in Helsinki were 'that cute band with the glockenspiel'. But Places Like This' Knife-esque electro-calypso wierdo dance-pop is more abraisive than it is cute, with the melt-in-your-ears female vocals of old all but replaced by a kind of harsh 'glam Isaak Brock' (Modest Mouse vocalist) sound. Like the Melbourne group's first two albums it's a scattered affair (but oh so precisely scattered), but here there's so much happening that it almost distracts you from itself. Underneath all the strange vocals and synth effects there are some really great songs though - Like It Or Not and Debbie my highlights. Places Like This is a brave move for these guys - though not as immediately endearing as past releases, it is a grower - you'll be surprised just how quickly it's vines will wrap themselves around your eardrums.

Artwork: A+

Published in mX, Thursday 26 July 2007.

Going Ga Ga

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Spoon
Merge, 2007
4 stars

Think of a perfectly cooked cut of eye fillet - it's kind of small, but all the fat has been trimmed off and it's 100% quality. The same can be said of Spoon's sixth lp Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - great songs played with class, not weighed down with any unnecessary ornamentation or effects, and all wrapped up in 36 minutes. Spoon are an accomplished band, shown here in the array of styles referenced - reggae (Eddie's Ragga), fragmented experimentation (The Ghost of You Lingers) and catchy guitar pop (Don't You Evah and Finer Feelings are definite album highlights). This is the sound of a band improving with age - Ga Ga is pop music at its best.

Artwork: B

Published in mX, Thursday 26 July 2007.

Robots Wander

Electroma
Daft Punk
Aztec DVD, 2007
3.5 stars 4 stars

Robot 1: "Why did the two robots cross the desert?"
Robot 2: "I don't know - why did the two robots cross the desert?"
Robot 1: "To get to the other side."
Robot 2: "I don't get it."
Either did I. Electroma is a very pretty film with a great soundtrack (though no music by Daft Punk themselves). Following a kind of 'journey of self-discovery' for two robots, the story leaves you guessing (as does the G rating), but this is irrelevant - buy this DVD and play it in the background of your next house party, it won't disappoint.

Published in mX, Monday 23 July 2007.

Lost in Space

Dystopia
Midnight Juggernauts
Siberia, 2007
3 stars

Sounding as though it was composed in a galaxy far, far away, it's not surprising that it took Dystopia what seemed like light years to arrive. The Melbourne trio's debut LP delivers everything early releases alluded to - namely futuristic electro-dance confusion - and then some, with more than a handful of nods to Discovery-era Daft Punk, and even the odd ballad reminiscent of Talky Walky-era Air. Though the best tracks on this album are the ones you've already heard (Shadows is one of the best party tracks you'll hear anywhere), they do sound fantastic as part of the entire Dystopian odyssey, and make it a trip well worth taking.

Artwork: B

Published in mX, Thursday 19 July 2007.

Simple Folk

Oh, My Darling
Basia Bulat
Rough Trade, 2007
3.5 stars

Basia Bulat's debut has her fingerprints all over it - handclaps, harmonicas and warm guitars accompany her own Joni Mitchell-esque breathy vocals. This album is nice, the same way that freshly baked cakes and handmade birthday cards are nice. Knowing that someone has spent their time putting something together for you really adds to how much you enjoy eating, reading or, here, listening to it. From the soulful Why Can't It Be Mine, to bouncy string-fest I Was a Daughter and the beautiful Little Waltz, this album has a real homespun feel to it. A real organic-sounding folk album, and a pleasure to kick back and take in.

Artwork: B+

Published in mX, Monday 9 July 2007.