Now It's On

Album Review: The Maccabees "Given To The Wild"

I have been living with this album for a week now, playing it at home and in the car non-stop. Not only does it get better with every listen, it's clear that The Maccabees have made the first great album of 2012 with "Given To The Wild". The English rock band's third album marks their biggest commercial breakthrough to date, debuting at #4 in the UK. No word yet if this will see a U.S. release, but it would be a crime if this is not the album to break them in the States. 

Self described as cinematic in nature, "Given To The Wild" tantalizes both with its moments of shimmering beauty, and there are many, and its grandiose walls of sound. The Maccabees never miss a beat, knowing when to exhibit restraint and when to turn on the jets and go full bore without going over the top. It's dramatic, orchestral, melodic rock at its finest.

After a brief intro, the album kicks into gear with the somber guitar lines of "Child". What starts out sounding as a standard medium tempo ballad is given life with a horn section joining in throughout the song which bursts into a joyous final 90 seconds. This leads into one of the album's top tracks, "Feel To Follow" which exemplifies the mastery at work here. There's a swooning chorus of "oohs" and a quiet breakdown before a soaring post-rock conclusion. It's the first of many stunning tracks.

Producer Tim Goldsworthy, best known for his work with UNKLE, definitely makes his mark on the album as electronic flourishes are added to The Maccabees guitar based rock sound. "Ayla" has fluttering piano and keyboard lines running underneath the song, "Went Away" relies heavy on keyboards and "Go" has a stuttering beat behind it's bursts of guitars and keys. "Heave" is awash with ethereal harmonics.

At the center of the album is another of its highlights, "Forever I've Known". Starting out slow and simmering, the song alternates between picking up steam and soft moments but when it kicks back in after lead singer Orlando Weeks pleads "Can we still try" repeatedly, it punches you in the gut with an urgent guitar line by Hugo White made to plant itself in your skull and live there. It's a monumentally grand rock song.

"Given To The Wild" is unstoppable all the way to the end and closes with a trio of its most beautiful songs. "Unknow" is a dark, icy rocker with angelic vocals that offset the driving moodiness of the music. "Slowly One" is a gentle acoustic number for its first half before heading into an electrified conclusion. Album closer "Grew Up At Midnight" is a tender ballad that culminates with a majestic explosion of chanted vocals, pounding drums, flourishing piano and guitars. It is truly as I described earlier a wall of sound and then suddenly, just when you think it is about to reach over the top proportions, it all just drops out, closing the song with simple, echoed guitar notes just as it started. It's a jaw dropping conclusion to a magnificent album.   

I can only hope "Given To The Wild" will eventually see a U.S. release. There has been talk of American tour dates later in the year, so there is reason to be optimistic. But with an album this impeccably good, it's worth every penny to import and get in your hands right away. The Maccabees have produced a masterpiece. I can't recommend this highly enough. 

"Given To The Wild" was released in the U.K. January 9, 2012 on Fiction Records.

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Album Review: The Juliets "Perfect Season"

I've been hooked on the music of The Juliets since the first time I saw them live in 2009. Their self titled debut album was one of my Top Five albums of last year and they are back with the follow-up, "Perfect Season". So, did they avoid the dreaded sophomore slump that derails so many bands? Absolutely, and then some.

"Perfect Season" continues The Juliets' mastery of pop music with a twist of baroque and classical. Jeremy Freer continues his uncanny ability to compose top notch songs with all the melodies and hooks your ears desire. It's a gift he puts to good use across all twelve of the tracks on the new album. The duo of Kaylan Mitchell on cello and Sarah Myers on violin still serve as the heart of The Juliets unique sound. Their strings do not serve as filler, they are at the forefront of each song, as important to the band's music as  typical pop-rock instruments like guitar, bass and drums. Speaking of bass and drums, Ashton Hopkins and Jaclyn Phillips round out the lineup this time, making their debut on record with the band.

Produced by the band along with Dave Feeny, "Perfect Season" definitely has a more polished sound than their debut. Also instantly noticeable is the prominent role electric guitar plays on a number of songs. Piano is usually Freer's instrument of choice, and it is utilized often here, but tracks like the driving "Heart In Heart", "Why Should I?", and first single "Loon" are propelled by Freer on electric guitar, as opposed to the acoustic that was used on their debut. Regardless of what his instrument of choice is on any song, Freer has an instantly catchy, accessible melody and chorus ready made for each one. "Only You" even brings some electronic beats and effects into the mix, but these additions do not detract from the formula or distinct sound of The Juliets. They're only occasional enhancements that leave the door open for them to experiment more in the future, without losing what makes their music so special.

There are still plenty of piano based compositions here too, with the best being the energetic force that is "Fashion", quickly becoming a live staple for the band. "G.W.N.L." features Sarah Myers' vocal debut on record in this duet with Freer and "You Found Me Out" closes the album with a bouncy, light pop piece. In ballsy fashion, the longest track here is "The Lost Memory", a lovely instrumental waltz placed in the middle of the album, giving Freer room to show off his skills on the piano while Mitchell and Myers do their thing on the strings.

As good as the uptempo material is, The Juliets also deliver their two finest ballads to this point. "A Perfect Season" opens with electric guitar while somber strings play and the song's beauty just grows from there. Freer's falsetto soars on the chorus of this declaration of love and devotion. Placed near the end of the album is the stunner "Ad-Lib".  Backed by just piano and strings, Freer delivers a vulnerable vocal performance with a melody that is heart achingly gorgeous. He'll be hard pressed to top himself in the ballad department after this one, but it will be a pleasure to hear him try.  

Although I think I favor their debut slightly more, there is not a bad track on "Perfect Season" and it is a perfect follow-up. The Juliets retained everything I loved about their first album while adding in some new musical elements. Jeremy Freer cements his reputation as one of the finest composers working in Michigan and The Juliets are one of, if not the, finest pop bands currently in the state. Much like their debut, "Perfect Season" is an album worthy of breaking them on a national level.

"Perfect Season" was self-released by The Juliets on November 5, 2011.

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Album Review: The Boxer Rebellion "The Cold Still"

It's a good thing I am playing catch-up on a number of 2011 releases or I might have missed out on the new one from The Boxer Rebellion. The third full length from this truly international band, "The Cold Still" has a title that befits the music. The quartet has crafted an album of melancholic rock at its finest.

Formed in London, the Boxer Rebellion was started by Tennessee native Nathan Nicholson and Australian Todd Howe. Englanders Piers Hewitt and Adam Harrison rounded out the band over time and they released their debut album, "Exits", in 2005. Ever since the release of their debut, the band has gone the independent route, not signing to a label and self-releasing everything themselves. Their second album, 2009's "Union", became the first self released album to enter Billboard's Top 100 album charts, based only off digital sales as it was initially only offered through iTunes. Obviously, this is a band intent on doing things on their own terms, and they've been succesful doing so.

For "The Cold Still", the band collaborated with respected producer Ethan Johns, who has worked with Ray LaMontagne, Ryan Adams, Kings Of Leon and Turin Brakes to name a few. There is a brooding chilliness to much of the material here, tracks like "Locked In The Basement" and "Cause For Alarm" have an undercurrent of sadness running through them with guitars moaning and Nicholson's emotionally compelling vocals. "Memo" is an obvious highlight, with an instantly catchy chorus. First single "Step Out of The Car" is one of the more upbeat songs here, probably why it was chosen as the lead single.

The somber mood of much of the album carries over into its ballads, which are all sublime. Opener "No Harm" slowly smolders along with little more than drums, bass and piano rumbling underneath, while "Caught By The Light" is a more tender piece with Nicholson often singing in an angelic falsetto on the chorus. "Both Sides Are Even" slowly builds into a grand crescendo of strings and sighing vocals. Album closer "Doubt" staggers in its sparseness as Nicholson spends the first two minutes singing to a lone acoustic guitar as backing. Eventually drums join in before the song blasts into a full band finish with screaming guitar work leading the way.

There is a gloomy beauty to much of "The Cold Still". It is perfect that I didn't get to this album until the fall as it fits the mood of a rainy, chilly fall day. The Boxer Rebellion continue to do things their own way, and this liberated foursome has produced another of 2011's best.   

"The Cold Still" was released in the U.S. March 29, 2011. It is a self-release by the band.

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Album Review: Duran Duran "All You Need Is Now"

With my first Duran Duran concert in over twenty years quickly approaching, it's time to re-visit their current release. "All You Need Is Now" was first released, as a download only, in late 2010. The download version only contained nine tracks, but they made for a concise album, with no filler, and the group's best since 1988's "Big Thing". I raved about the download version in my review, with the knowledge the physical release to follow in 2011 would be extended with extra tracks.

Released in March, the CD version of "All You Need Is Now" has 14 tracks in the standard version, 15 in the Deluxe Version and 17 in the Best Buy exclusive version. (For the record, I hate this practice of throwing extra songs on multiple releases, causing a collector or fan to have to buy two or three versions of an album to get all the new songs.) So does it suffer from the extra material or does it still hold together as the solid, cohesive album the original nine track download was?  

Although some of the additional tracks are weaker than anything on the download version, "All You Need Is Now" still stands as one of the best albums of Duran Duran's career. Even while incorporating modern twists to it, Mark Ronson has helped bring back the sound that the band became famous with. Ronson's goal was to make the long lost follow-up to "Rio", and he and the band, along with mixer Mark 'Spike' Stent, have overwhelmingly succeeded.

Of the six new tracks on this 'Deluxe Edition', two are short orchestral interludes featuring strings arranged and conducted by Owen Pallett. "Too Bad You're So Beautiful" is the best of the added tracks, another meld of dance and rock that Duran Duran hung their hat on in their heyday. The chorus is a classic Simon Le Bon vocal performance, this is yet another song that sounds like a long lost "Rio" track. "Other People's Lives" is an electronic condemnation of gossip laden tabloid media and the public's obsession with it while "Mediterranea" brings a tropical island feel, basically what you'd expect a song with that title to sound like. The only new song that really doesn't work here is bonus track "Networker Nation". Although it's not bad, it feels like what it is, a bonus track tacked on at the end that was better left as an outtake.

Quickly approaching a year later, the original nine tracks have not lost any of their luster. "The Man Who Stole A Leopard" is still a sinister slice of sexy funk, "Leave A Light On" is still their best ballad since "Save A Prayer", and "Being Followed" still sounds stolen straight from 1982 with John Taylor's bouncing basslines, Nick Rhodes' atmospheric synth and Dom Brown sounding eerily like Andy Taylor with his guitar licks. "Girl Panic!" would have been all over radio back in the 80's, when commercial radio still was even relevant and actually played worthwhile music. 

"All You Need Is Now" ranks as one of 2011's pleasant surprises. As other favorites from my formative years (cough, cough PRINCE) continue to flounder with mediocre releases, unsure of what they are supposed to sound like on record anymore, it is nice to see Duran Duran sounding like Duran Duran is supposed to again. A triumphant return.  

"All You Need Is Now" was released on CD in the U.S. March 22, 2011 on S-Curve Records.

Album Review: The Great Book Of John "The Great Book Of John"

Not only was Wild Sweet Orange's "We Have Cause To Be Uneasy" one of the best releases of 2008, it's an indie rock classic in my book. It garnered the band a lot of attention and positive reviews, an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman, and opening slots for such bands as Counting Crows, Guster, Margot and the Nuclear So And So's and Augustana to name a few.

However, in July of 2009 bassist Garret Kelly and founding guitarist Taylor Shaw left the band, this after guitarist Matt Parsons had done the same earlier. Lead singer and main songwriter Preston Lovinggood tried to keep the band going, but obviously the magic had been lost and he finally announced the band was done in September of 2010. Shaw already had another project going in 2008 with The Great Book Of John, whose debut album "Yves' Blues", a mostly acoustic affair, came out that year. Leaving Wild Sweet Orange gave him the chance to dive fully into his new band.

Now The Great Book Of John have returned with their second full length, and it's quite the departure from their debut. Shaw is joined by fellow former Wild Sweet Orange members Chip Kilpatrick on drums, Rebekah Fox on vocals and the aforementioned Garret Kelly on keyboards, along with bassist Alex Mitchell ,on an album that certainly explores similar territory to a lot of WSO's material, but also branches out into both psychedelic and experimental rock directions. No matter what label you care to put on it, it's a fantastic listen and ranks as one of the best releases of 2011.

Produced by Remy Zero's Jeffery Cain and engineered by Darrell Thorp who has worked with the likes of Radiohead, Beck and Outkast, "The Great Book Of John covers a vast amount of musical terrain. Things kick right off with the huge, heavy guitar hook of "Robin Hood". "Let It Slide" delivers a wall of sound, with acoustic guitars driving the song at first but soon joined by strings, pounding drums and eventually atmospheric keyboards to bring the song to a dramatic close.

Things settle into a more acoustic based mood for a good portion of the middle section of the album. "Wise Blood" is a string heavy piece, while the acoustic guitar and piano based "Ashes Over Manhattan" may just be the loveliest song on here, though it has competition. The piano heavy "On And On" and vocal harmonies of "Cover My Eyes" are outstanding ballads as well.

"Simple Things" is another standout, mixing southern rock influences with a strong sense of melody on the dynamic chorus, exploding guitar work builds until the song comes cascading down to its close. Shaw and company have produced an album that wears its heart on its sleeve. Emotional, ballsy yet restrained when it needs to be, "The Great Book Of John" must be a part of the conversation when it comes to highlights of 2011. I'd consider it a must not just for fans of Wild Sweet Orange, but for fans of great music, period.   

"The Great Book Of John" was released in the U.S. August 16, 2011 on the Communicating Vessels label.

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Album Review: The Envy Corps "It Culls You"

The Envy Corps' 2008 full length "Dwell" goes down in my book as one of the all-time overlooked indie rock albums. It was one of the best albums released that year, but sadly only saw a digital release Stateside, and lost steam in the UK where they were signed to a major label deal, after it was delayed by Vertigo Records. Now the Ames, Iowa quartet are back with their first album since "Dwell" and they've done it again with one of 2011's best releases. "It Culls You" is simply a great album.

I'll get this right out of the way. Yes, good portions of this sound very Radiohead-esque. Luke Pettipoole's voice can even call to mind Thom Yorke in places. Radiohead have influenced countless bands so that is certainly nothing I'm going to hold against The Envy Corps in the originality department. I'd prefer to just focus on the music at hand here, comparisons be damned. 

With "It Culls You", The Envy Corps build on the sound of their past work while taking it in new directions, enough so to turn a casual fan into a diehard. It's the sound of a band moving forward, not stagnating. Luke Pettipoole has always had an intriguing voice, capable of being snarly one minute on a heavier track, and sweet the next in his falsetto on a quieter ballad. What stands out here as much as his vocals is his work on the bass. The rhythm section on this album, Pettipoole on the bass and Scott Yoshimura on drums, is amazing. Tracks like "Ms. Hospital Corners", "Dipsomania" and "Command+Q" are downright damn funky, not the first thing that comes to mind from their past work.  

The album opens with Yoshimura's beating drum and the crunchy bass of "Make It Stop", a song that switches gears about halfway through with a chorus of "Oooh's" before Brandon Darner and Micah Natera join in on guitars and keyboards for a cigarette lighters in the air, hands waving back and forth finale. Such a fantastic opener sets the tone for the rest of the album.

As nice it is to hear the band explore some new territory, they have also perfected the melodic rock they are best known for. "Give It (All) Up" has a sad, repeated synth line, insistent bass and a subdued, but emotional vocal performance by Pettipoole. "In The Summer" has haunting guitar circling around your head, with strings playing in the background to add to the lovely atmosphere set here. Both songs are nothing short of gorgeous.

The album closes with the 14 minute, two part "Fools". Part one, the over nine minute "Fools (How I Survived You & Even Laughed)" starts out rather laid back, with Pettipoole going in and out of falsetto, while bass, piano and tapping drums quietly back him up. The song explodes near its halfway point into a practically post-rock conclusion, searing, echoed guitars scream while a wordless refrain of "woos" is tailor-made to stick with you long after you're done listening. It's an epic conclusion, with Part II a sparse acoustic piece that adds a thumping electronic drum beat to its final minute.

Sometimes it is difficult to express in words how a particular album makes you feel. "It Culls You" staggered me on the first listen and its brilliance has only grown with each repeated play. It cements their place as one of the best indie rock acts working today. Three albums in and The Envy Corps only continue to get better with each release. That is a difficult task to pull off. This is a band deserving of your attention and an album I can't recommend highly enough.

"It Culls You" is being self-released by The Envy Corps. It was made available for download starting August 26, 2011 via the band's official website. You can also pre-order the physical release off their website which will start shipping October 3, 2011. 

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Album Review: Active Child "You Are All I See"

Although 2011 has seen its share of strong releases, few have gotten me as excited upon first listen as Active Child's debut full length "You Are All I See". I had received a free mp3 of the track "Hanging On" and could not get over its gorgeousness, so obviously seeking out the complete album was mandatory. And was it ever worth it.

New Jersey's Pat Grossi has concocted a one of a kind here, and there is little doubt it's headed for plenty of year-end Best Of lists, including mine. I haven't been this blown away by a 2011 album since the new Bon Iver. How to describe Active Child's music? Well you have to start with that voice. It comes as no surprise after listening to the angelic, soaring falsetto he employs throughout this record that Grossi is a former choir member, singing with the Philadelphia Boys Choir. His vocals call to mind the likes of Jimmy Somerville or Antony Hegarty, yet retain a completely unique voice all their own.

Musically, it's as if Grossi took a blender, tossed in a heaping portion of 80's synth pop, added a pinch of dubstep, sprinkled in various electronic influences and topped it off with ambient and classical ingredients to produce this dizzying collection. One minute it is screwing with your head, the next blowing your mind with its beauty. I've truly heard nothing else like it this year.

"Hanging On" is the song that captured my interest, and it stands as my favorite track here. Using Grossi's sighing vocals, harp, a slow beat and soundscapes of keyboards, he laments "I just can't keep hanging on to you and me" in one of the loveliest break-up songs you're bound to hear. Yes, the track is that stunning. Album closer "Johnny Belinda" matches the beauty of "Hanging On", an icy cool orchestral masterpiece topped off with Grossi's magical vocal work. 

Other highlights include the trippy "Way Too Fast", a mindfuck if ever there was one on here, as Grossi distorts and slows his voice down at times over forebodingly dark music that mixes with his altered vocals and a strange scratch effect that sounds like someone lighting a match. "High Priestess" has an ethereal melody with tribal drums beating over the top while "Shield & Sword" sounds like some strange love child of Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode and Bronski Beat. "Playing House" featuring How To Dress Well (aka Tom Krell) is electronic R&B, as Krell performs a soulful duet with Grossi.    

"You Are All I See" truly needs to be listened to as a whole as singling out individual tracks only tells part of the story. It is one of those 'headphone albums', a work that is best experienced with the lights out, a good pair of headphones on, and your eyes closed to get lost in its brilliance and beauty. Essential listening.  

Album Review: The Calm Blue Sea "The Calm Blue Sea"

The Austin, Texas band The Calm Blue Sea is enjoying somewhat of a second life. Originally self-released in 2008, their self titled debut album has now been re-released with two bonus tracks recorded during the original album sessions, and they are getting considerably more attention on this go round. NPR featured the album on their First Listen series and Esquire has fawned over them, amongst others and with good reason.

The Calm Blue Sea will certainly draw comparisons to the most well known post-rock bands, from Mogwai to Explosions In The Sky. This music is dramatic, with most songs six minutes or more long, giving them room to breathe and explore multiple movements within each track. There are pounding, pulsing, intense passages and quiet, contemplative moments of sheer beauty. 

Although I strongly recommend the album in its entirety, there is not a bad song here, my favorites include the majestic opener "We Happy Few", which makes good use of the piano amongst the powerful guitars, "This Will Never Happen Again", which steadily builds with a repeated guitar line playing over an eerie sea of atmospheric keyboards before furiously boiling over with an assault of drums and guitar, and the nearly ten minute "The Rivers That Run Beneath This City", which starts as a quiet, melodic guitar piece before drums and keyboards slowly are added along with soaring, crying guitar work for a bombastic second half.

Also not to be missed is "After The Legions", the slowest track on the album with shimmering piano throughout, it is absolutely mesmerizing. I love the prominent use of piano on many of these tracks, it takes The Calm Blue Sea's music to even more sublime places. The Austin quartet definitely needs to be a part of the conversation when it comes to the great instrumental rock music being made today. This album is gorgeous.    

"The Calm Blue Sea" reissue was released in the U.S. August 2, 2011 on Modern Outsider Records.

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Album Review: Matthew Ryan "I Recall Standing As Though Nothing Could Fall"

I was a little late in the game when it comes to Matthew Ryan. My first exposure to his music was last year's "Dear Lover" (Released digitally in 2009 but on CD in February of 2010), and it went on to become one of my Top Five of 2010. That has left me with a lot of catching up to do with his back catalog, but I am happy to put that on the back burner as Ryan has returned with a new album that cements his place as one of the finest songwriters working today. 

"I Recall Standing As Though Nothing Could Fall" is a departure from the exploration of intimate personal relationships explored on "Dear Lover", and also a departure musically from that album. Many songs here boast electronic beats and flourishes and there are a lot less acoustic based tracks, but the extra waves of production do not take away from the brilliance of Ryan's lyrics or his message. After an album about various stages of relationships, Ryan is taking on the shitstorm that all of us, no matter where we live these days, is dealing with. Wars, social unrest, political gridlock and a political system in America that no longer works, natural disasters, financial disasters and on and on. As he writes on his blog, "we're all living it. And no matter how hard you wanna tune out, it just keeps coming in waves of cold static."     

So with this album, Ryan says "I wrote an album in defense of our humanity amid the modern conflict and its constant blizzardly assault." His ultimate message? "Tomorrow will be exactly what we allow it to be." In spite of all the wrong that is going on, it is an empowering and ultimately hopeful call out to all of us. 

Ryan's cool rasp is part of the charm of his music. I almost think his music wouldn't have the same emotional power without it. A song like opener "The Sea" with its relaxed beat and melody gains beauty from Ryan's raspy delivery. "Hey Kid" is a call, perhaps to the younger generation, to not give up in light of all that is wrong. "All Of That Means Nothing Now" is one of the heavier tracks on the album, with searing guitar work. 

As much as Ryan features electronic beats and more fleshed out tracks on this album, the more stripped down moments still carry the same wallop they did on "Dear Lover". The sparse, acoustic "I Don't Want A Third World War" rips at your heart as Ryan sadly sings 'our darkness is catching up with us' before asking, "Look a child in the eye and say what were you hoping for? You shouldn't expect too much'. It's an indictment of how we are failing not just ourselves, but our future. It's hard to do this type of material and not come across heavy handed, but Ryan has the gift to avoid that. At this point, I doubt there is a topic he can't tackle in a mature, intelligent fashion.

Also stunning is the performance on "I Still Believe In You", featuring Olly Knights of Turin Brakes. Musically the song is little more than a soft, lone drum beat, atmospheric keyboards and a somber piano that comes in at times, but the delicate vocal work delivers another message of hope and belief. There is little to interpret as far as the message to "I Want Peace" but Ryan envelopes it in anger, with a  combo of heavy drums and foreboding keyboard. Album closer "All Hail The Kings of Trash" is a straight up rocker that Ryan snarls through from start to finish, with the title becoming a chant I'd love to hear a crowd bellow in unison someday at a show. 

Although the majority of the album deals with larger issues, Ryan leaves a reminder of his prowess when it comes to songs about personal relationships with the remarkable "Song For A Friend". Lamenting an old friendship that has drifted apart and how quickly the years pass, he sings 'Oh my friend, I'm worried. Time's a shark, and in a hurry.' The song closes with the heartbreaking 'On nights like this, I drink my share of whiskey/And wade in the flood of loneliness that was so foreign when you were with me.' This is another of Ryan's spare arrangements, primarily piano with some strings added near the end and it's lovely.

If you are like I was, and are new to the music of Matthew Ryan, that needs to change. He tackles some heady subject matter on "I Recall Standing..." and it is an album that is needed in these times. It's music that moves, inspires, questions and calls you to act and, just like "Dear Lover", is essential. 

"I Recall Standing As Though Nothing Could Fall" was released as a download June 22,2011. It will be released on CD August 23, 2011 on the Dear Future Collective label.

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Album Review: Young Galaxy "Shapeshifting"

One trend I have not been able to pick up on is this whole "indie electronic" thing. I love electronic music. Faithless, Moby, Underworld, Way Out West, Plastikman and many more are among my favorite acts of any genre. But try as I might, album after album of this retro, electronic, whatever indie stuff leaves me feeling unfulfilled. I tried to like Passion Pit and Yeasayer, wanted to love Cut Copy and Hot Chip, attempted to enjoy Little Dragon, all to no avail. They just made me reach for my classic 80's synth-pop records and never look back. Then came Young Galaxy.

Hailing from Vancouver, the trio, with the help of Swedish producer Dan Lissvik, have produced an album that touches on that classic 80's synth pop sound, but also mixes in modern day electronic beats and a heavy helping of chilled out bliss for a compelling listen. Although the two male members, Stephen Ramsay and Stephen Kamp contribute on vocals, it is the work of Catherine McCandless that takes this album to the next level. I've always believed a strong female voice can take good electronic music to new heights and McCandless does exactly that here as she moves into more of a lead vocalist role.

Two of McCandless' lead performances here are also the album's strongest tracks. "We Have Everything" has a jumping beat and the strong melodic presence that dominates the album. "Blown Minded" is simply stunning, with an equally impressive video to go along with it. McCandless declares "I was born blown minded with an eye on oblivion" as a sad lone keyboard line plays over the slower beat. It's just a great song.

"Shapeshifting" is a bit of a departure for the band, who primarily have been considered a dream pop outfit, mixed with indie rock. Even though this is much more of an electronic direction, there are still plenty of ethereal, dreamy moments as on the soothing "Peripheral Visionaries", the echoed, dark spaces contained within "High And Goodbye" and the harmonies found on "The Angels Are Surely Weeping".

I continue to find more and more gems coming out of the Canadian music scene, and you can add Young Galaxy to that list. It's refreshing to hear an album that dabbles in a retro synth sound but is able to make it fresh and, most importantly, enjoyable to listen to. Do not sleep on "Shapeshifting", a melodic, beat laden, triumphantly chilled out musical journey.

"Shapeshifting" was released in the U.S. February 15, 2011 on Paper Bag Records.

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