I remember seeing the quote earlier in 2k10 and realizing that for the emotional spectrum that is dance music, these really are the two options. Cut Copy avoids this trend on their ambitious new album Zonoscope, which releases February 8th on Modular. [Preorder here] Citing a new direction for their sound, the band moves away from the psychadelic synths of their first record Bright Like Neon Love and further explore the territory from their previous record, In Ghost Colours. Rather than forgetting or remembering, Cut Copy dance for foresight and understanding on Zonoscope.
[Full review and album stream after the jump]
Immediately the first track indicates a pleasant step forward for their sound, with more organic drum sounds and a general richness in sound texture from layered synths meandering as "Need You Now" builds to a disco climax akin to "Lights and Music." This theme of a familiar feel but new execution continues on "Take Me Over", the second track. All at once the song combines Cut Copy's New Wave influences with polyrhythmic beats, multi-instrumental hooks, and a sing-along chorus of oohs to cap a new fan-favorite.
Next is "Where I'm Going," the joyous Beach Boys-esque first look at Zonoscope that was released last year. The album version is a slight rework and sounds perfectly in place with the rest of the album: joyous, inspired, and dreamy, with analog synths complementing a flurry of celebratory chants into three minutes of pop mastery.
The album delves back into electro territory on "Pharaohs and Pyramids," opting for processed drums and a bouncy bass line for a Depeche Mode feel as Dan Whitford pleads "Please baby, please baby, don't take my heart away/Just save it for another day/When you need my love some more." It is a cut that is vintage Cut Copy, which amounts to a perfect balance of poppy New Wave and a fierce electro breakdown. "Blink and You'll Miss a Revolution" employs a beat that would not be out of place on an LCD Soundsystem album, in the best possible way, and adds a tropical riff to the apocalyptic dance floor rally. The song ends with a string transition to the glimmering trance of "Strange Nostalgia For The Future", and at this point it is amazing to realize the album has moved without losing any momentum, with this gorgeous mystical aside giving a much-needed breather from the previous antics.
"This Is All We've Got" is airy and observant, reiterating the downfall being downplayed in favor of wonder at the sights abound. On "Alisa" the band reminds that they are still a band, heading back to late 70's dance yearning akin to Bowie with a new laptop. "Hanging Onto Every Heartbeat" is a calm ballad backed by an acoustic guitar riff that gets slowly surrounded, feeling like a Beatles cut from 2050 as Whitford croons "We're gonna drift away/So you might never see the light of day."
The previously described ambition comes through in glorious excess on the final two tracks. "Corner of the Sky" begins with ominous synth rumblings, exhibiting the David Byrne feel through the verses and a siren-laden chorus that nearly masks the clever message of a lover wondering if "you'll ever see" something you could keep "until the end of time."
"Sun God" is the masterpiece of this album, and has the potential to be the most electrifying new song in a live setting, arguably Cut Copy's greatest strength as a band. The themes of uncertain futures and unblinking love come full circle during the 15-minute epic, which employs a buildup in the progressive-house mold, twisting and turning, confounding and mutilating the original beat until it is nigh unfamiliar. At this point in the show I can only imagine a frenzied crowd waiting amongst a sea of lights and lasers, and hopefully someone will climb something and stage dive. Or maybe that will just be me rather than a band member. The song avoids coming back in for one last drop, leading me to believe it would be perfect as a set up for the final fever pitch of "Hearts on Fire." We shall see at Coachella.
Overall this record is unquestionably solid, advancing Cut Copy into the pantheon of modern dance rock, and reminding the rest of the genre to get their shit together and make more creative, positive efforts such as this one.
[Stream Zonoscope after a Twitter login]
