It seems that whenever the economy takes a bad turn electro-pop comes creeping back out of the woodwork. Wave Machines’ debut album ‘Wave If You’re Really There’ is one of many recession-electro releases that we’re to be subjected to this year. Its not all bad news though, this release might just have enough great dance tracks to stand out from the crowd.
The opening track, ‘You Say The Stupidest Things’, nicely eases you into what becomes a surprisingly funky, electro album. It hints at the electro beats to come, but remains soft and maintains a sincerity that the rest of the album often fails to achieve. The songs rapidly move on, giving us some great dance tunes. ‘I Go I Go I Go’ is one such tune. It’s poppy, its’ funky and generally just good fun. It doesn’t say anything meaningful nor does it intend to.
None of the songs in the album can be considered to be particularly new or cutting edge, but most of them make great dance tracks. The best song on the album, ‘The Greatest Escape We Ever Made’, has all the camp quality of the Pet Shop Boys or MGMT. It has the drum sampling, poppy electro and twitchy guitars one has come to expect recently, but is still a fun listen.
Keep The Lights On’, the first release from the album, doesn’t quite do the rest of the songs justice. Yes, it’s poppy and electronicized and has a nice little chorus, but otherwise seems rather downbeat. It’s end-of-the-night music at best and doesn’t give the band that instant blast needed to differentiate them from the myriad of other electro hopefuls out there at the moment.
‘Wave If You’re Really There’ does have some fantastic songs on it that do stand out and are sure to be played in the clubs over summer. The problem is that in amongst the likes of La Roux, Empire of the Sun and Little Boots we might not notice whether they ever really arrive.
Words: Jonathan Wilson