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If you miss the '80s new wave/synth-pop glazes of Yaz
and Alphaville or have a liking for modern electro-pop
eloquence like Sound Team and Hundred Year Storm,
the UK's Klaxons play your musical preference. England
is calling their sound Fluorescent Rock, Day-Glo, and New Rave,
referencing the Klaxons new wave aspects and glam-rock magnetic
fields. There is a punk-ish vibe in the dance club beats and vitality
in their hydroplane synths. Band mates Jamie Reynolds,
James Righton, and Simon Taylor have a way with
their synth valiances which bridge the excitement of the '80s
English Beat with the finesse of post-new wave revivalists
like Angels And Airwaves and LCD Soundsystem. Synth-pop
feels titillating in their hands like they know this music inside
and out. Klaxons not only do something new with glam-rock and
new wave but they seem to know its origins with a Blue October
burn.
Klaxons debut full length disc Myths Of The Near Future,
the follow up to last year's EP Xan Valleys, is bolted
with synth-pop complexes, some reflective of the '80s hit makers
like General Public and Ultravox but with an updated
sound like the tracks "Two Receivers" and "Atlantis
To Interzone." There are a lot of sci-fi themed titles and
a few robotic vocals but the consistency is on the band's bouncy
club beats and rattling synths. Many of the melodies are cyclical,
repeating the series like a tilt-o-whirl ride with splays of punk
verve in the prismatic synth atmospheres. The tracks are stylish
in a Brit-pop way like "Golden Skans" and "Isle
Of Her," and jangling synth valleys like on "Gravity's
Rainbow." The heavy bass grinding on "Forgotten Works"
have a thrilling effect and the staccato drum strikes on "Magick"
are tribal. The interloping synths and vocals on "It's Not
Over Yet" have reflections of Bloc Party and the final
track "Four Horsemen" stomps with romping beats, pummeling
synths and fervent electro-glam rhythms asserting dark-punk impulses.
Klaxons debut album has reflections of past new wavers and forge
a path for post new waves. The album is lively and stylish, loaded
with vitality. Whether their music matches their live performance
will be tested in the States with a show at the Coachella music
festival on April 29, 2007 and a string of club dates. Concert
footage can also be viewed at the band's myspace site at myspace.com/klaxons.
Klaxons are part of a new generation of British invaders and their
new waves are pretty cool.
-Susan Frances
Track listing:
1. Two Receivers
2. Atlantis To Interzone
3. Golden Skans
4. Totem On The Timeline
5. As Above So Below
6. Isle Of Her
7. Gravity's Rainbow
8. Forgotten Works
9. Magick
10. It's Not Over Yet
11. Four Horsemen
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