Holy Ghost! - Dynamics

Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser's 2011 self-titled debut - as reviewed here - may have been a little late to the making-EDM-cool party, but of all of that was quite immaterial when presented with anthems as catchy and sublime as Do It Again. The rest of the album may have struggled to resonate in a year when chilling electronica was being put out by stronger artists like Washed Out, Bjork and Katy B (just covering all ends of the spectrum, there), but if anything the indie scene has only grown more accommodating for such acts with the return of Daft Punk and their Moroder-worship, and strong performances from Disclosure, Arcade Fire and Phoenix.

The challenge here, really, is to make an album as symbiotic as their first, but keep the interest running past the first three tracks. And going back to an even stronger 80s influence is certainly a step in the right direction when the whole country (us UK patriots, that is) is currently enjoying adverts blasting Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now and hits from Drake, Miley Cyrus and the Saturdays are all thriving off of the revival. But staying consistent in a genre that requires foot-tapping hits is a bit of a struggle, and Dynamics proves that.

In the opening 15 seconds of 'Okay' it's already clear that the UK scene of the 1980s is somewhat responsible for this album; lying somewhere between Depeche Mode and The Human League, the track bounces about carelessly trying to get a tune going but falls just short. 'Dumb Dance Ideas' sounds a little like the (Ta-Dah! era) Scissor Sisters soundtracking that hypnosis video in Zoolander where Mugatu's trying to get Derek to kill the prime minister of Malaysia. Which is obviously a brilliant thing. It's a little bit kitsch at times, as Frankel urges "come on, come on, there's no time to waste now!" but the whole 8 minutes and 4 seconds is captivating. 'Changing of the Guard' is an uncomfortable sentiment after that glory, and indeed the track comes off as monotonous, lacking effort. 'Dance a Little Closer' offers little more than a cowbell in its chorus to try and revive some of the party spirit.

It takes a drumbeat more than a little borrowed from In the Air Tonight to make 'It Must be the Weather' (surely not a coincidence of titles) to rekindle the band and make them even a little dynamic, but even then the end result is lacking. A brief change of scenery on 'For Edgar' introduces eastern sounds and a warmer feel, paving the way for 'I Wanna Be Your Hand', a very Empire of the Sun potential single. Better still is 'Bridge and Tunnel', the album's chirpiest and funkiest groove that incorporates all sorts of fun inclusions (the robotic voices, brief string flourishes and cooing vocal echoes) that recall the late 90s' (or indeed today's) love of disco-funk.

In fact, it sets up the rest of the record for a victory lap home. 'Don't Look Down' is a wonderfully optimistic piece that finds Frankel reassuring us "just close those eyes and I'm home". A slower groove shapes up 'In the Red' to be the album's rolled-up sleeves prom dance, conjuring all sorts of mental images involving Molly Ringwald, which is nice (where is she now? I hope she's ok.) Finally, 'Cheap Shots' is well-suited to be the album's credits-reel, because nobody sticks around for those and it's ultimately a bit dull.

This is by no means a great album, but as a collection of enjoyable electropop tunes, it holds few flaws. Ignoring that threefold knockout blow of tracks 3-5, of course. I'm a little mystified as to why It Gets Dark and Teenagers in Heat weren't saved for the record, because they're two tracks of late that show the band have a lot more to them.

Rating: 6.5/10
Highlights: Dumb Disco Ideas; I Wanna be Your Hand; In the Red; Don't Look Down; Bridge and Tunnel
Avoid: Changing of the Guard; It Must be the Weather; Dance a Little Closer; Cheap Shots

Artwork Watch: Anyone else feel like watching Catdog now?
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