-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal *
Artist..: Radiation City
Album...: Synesthetica
GENRE....: Pop
STYLE....: Dream Pop, Indie Pop, Lo-Fi, Disco
LABEL....: Polyvinyl SCENE.....: 2016-03-04
BITRATE..: 909 kbps avg STORE.....: 2016-00-00
ENCODER..: FLAC 1.2.1 -8 -V TRACKS....: 9
SIZE.....: 248.4MB SOURCE....: CD
URL..: http://radiationcity.net/
- TRACKLIST
1 Oil Show 4:07
2 Juicy 4:33
3 Butter 4:01
4 Come And Go 4:32
5 Milky White 3:57
6 Sugar Broom 3:57
7 Separate 5:45
8 Futures 3:10
9 Fancy Cherries 4:10
Total Playtime: 38:12
The shiny-happy '60s dream-pop has been augmented by riffier synths and a
reverb-ed out pulse that scratches at the surface of the '80s with the entire
package boasting stunning vocal performances by all involved.
*
For a band with a sound that generally fell in that indistinct blogosphere
sweet spot between "dreamy" and "hazy," Portland, Oregon quartet Radiation
City did their cribbing better than most. On 2013Æs sophomore effort Animals
in the Median, the group continued to chip out their own niche with a heavy
serving of retro psychedelic pop, interstitial bits of analog glitch, and a
considerable dollop of space-age weirdness that called to mind icons like
Stereolab and the Human League in more than one reviewer. It was a
simultaneously well-worn yet vibrant sound, best exemplified in the music
video for "Zombies," a brilliant take on a heartrending song that mixed past
and present visual and musical tropes to beguiling effect. Their new album,
Synesthetica, seizes on the promise of "Zombies," amping up the æ60s pop
bedrock in the bandÆs DNA û the Beach Boys, the Velvet Underground, the Mamas
and the Papas û with a rich production aesthetic and some of the most
unabashedly sugary hooks in the bandÆs discography.
Named for the neurological condition where an individual who has one sense
stimulated experiences an involuntary stimulation of another sensory pathway,
Synesthetica doesnÆt announce itself subtly. "Oil Show" is an appropriate
representation of the albumÆs namesake, brimming with ideas and layers upon
layers of melodies and instrumental fidgeting, singer Lizzy EllisonÆs
sparkling vocals providing a pleasant road map. Ellison, whose experience of
seeing specific colors when she hears different musical sounds inspired the
album title, is the thread that keeps "Oil Show," and Synesthetica, from
collapsing in on itself. Where past albums tended to ebb and flow,
Synesthetica rarely lets its foot off the gas. "Juicy" is a slow roiling
lullaby that builds its crowd-pleasing vocal lilts into a boisterous anthem,
Ellison soaring over a drunkenly tilting chorus. The luxuriant strings and
fat synths that bubble over the blue-eyed soul of "Butter" û a production
choice that aligns the song with any number of classic James Bond themes û
make one wonder how Ellison, with her condition, can adequately keep her shit
together when performing live.
Yet Radiation City rarely let their at times heavy-handed studio work
overwhelm the songs themselves. Where Animals in the Median often disguised
the classicism in its songwriting with futuristic effects and brooding
undertones, here the band builds that weirdness into the structure of the
songs itself, and without undermining a series of golden hooks. The dichotomy
between the Phil Spector-esque wall of electronic effects and shimmering
synths, spliced against EllisonÆs arch West Coast pop warning on "Separate,"
expertly highlights this combo. "Come and Go," another track that exploits
the lovely combination of EllisonÆs crystalline vocals with bandmate (and
romantic partner) Cameron SpiesÆ more nonchalant approach, masks lyrics rife
with dark, vaguely threatening imagery via an absolute earworm of a chorus.
Occasionally, the groupÆs mishmash of styles comes off as heavy-handed; the
Leave It To Beaver-core of "Futures" is so sickly sweet as to rot, and the
emotional catharsis it strives for in its verses is undercut by that rictus
grin of a chorus. Even SynestheticaÆs misfires, though, are just charmingly
inconsequential, a song like "Sugar Broom" less of a failure than a killer
hook in search of a fuller song.
In the tradition of any number of albums with a lot of baggage û Spies and
Ellison temporarily broke up during its recording, one band member was let
go, and the creation of the record itself was done piecemeal û Synesthetica
comes awfully close to falling apart at the seams. But even with the steam
the record loses near its end, its willingness to go for broke seals it as
the groupÆs most thrilling and cohesive record yet. Consider second single
"Milky White," a song that comes off as so overtly glam as to be blinding,
but revels in the details that crisscross underneath that pulsating beat: the
glitchy, thick drum sound, the organs and synths flitting back and forth,
that snarling guitar riff and that arena-ready hook, sung in a
call-and-response that begs to be replayed. ItÆs a hodgepodge of ideas that
should rightfully result in an overcooked mess. Radiation City instead make
its addition seem seamless, a part and parcel with their history and current
direction. That one can actually imagine "Milky White" filling up those
arenas it aims for is a happy bonus.
*
Before Radiation City began recording their third album, Synesthetica, they
came very close to splitting up. After two albums and an EP, they were burnt
out artistically and the driving couple behind the band (Cameron Spies and
Lizzy Ellison) was close to breaking up. Instead of the band ending, the
couple decided to start working on music again, this time taking control
themselves. After a couple recording sessions, both with and without
bandmembers, a new variation on their sound emerged. Slicker, more
sophisticated, and with a bit more R&B mixed into their space age doo wop
meets indie pop, the album turned out to be their best work yet. Filled with
songs that crackle like the first bite into a lollipop and pop like the snap
of a bubblegum bubble, it's modern pop at its finest. Giant hooks, sparkling
melodies, and Ellison's larger-than-life vocals are matched with subtle
arrangements to make the songs really jump out of the speakers in a bright
but still very warm and easy-to-embrace kind of way. There is no brittle
undercurrent or sense that the band is grasping beyond its reach; the bigness
of the sound and songs comes off as totally organic. It's easy to trace where
they were before with where they end up here. Just take the kind of sweet and
tricky pop they were doing in the past, then blow it up like a giant, happy
balloon because Synesthetica is the kind of record that will leave the
listener smiling. Gently rocking tunes like "Juicy" show off both their vocal
prowess and knack for a catchy chorus, the bubbling R&B meets '80s rock jam
"Milky White" is a new twist on their sound that totally works, and a handful
of songs are the kind that lodge deeply within the pleasure center of the
brain. The scientifically catchy "Futures" is one of these; so is "Oil Show."
The latter one-ups most of the bands at the time who were trying to blend
radio pop, electronic R&B, and indie pop. If fans of Phantogram, for example,
heard this song, they might have a new favorite band. The making of
Synesthetica was a big deal for Radiation City; the result is a big deal to
those who like their modern pop smart, fun, and with just the right amount of
modernity.
-=- SHGZ -=-
P.S.
** Thanks ***
*** BCC FNT IPC SSR ***
*** For Knowing Where The Music Is At ***
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* NuHS we miss you! *
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