Cut Copy's In Ghost Colours

Dance rock is old news, right? Franz Ferdinand and their clones are basically fighting to stay afloat in the constantly churning sea of party rockers hoping to reach Top 40 status. Signed to Modular (also the home of New Young Pony Club and The Presets), the Australian band, Cut Copy isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but they have done something revolutionary in its own sense: they have evolved naturally.

The March 22 release of In Ghost Colours was extremely hyped, partially due to the success of its predecessor, 2004’s Bright Like Neon Love, but also because of a string of popular remixes. Unlike many sophomore efforts, In Ghost Colours makes no attempts to rock more, be more progressive, or go more electronic. The music is simply organic and heartfelt, and despite being more accessible than any of their previous releases and having “Lights and Music” as a free track on iTunes, this album is no sell-out.

This album is at once intellectually stimulating and danceable. On the track “Far Away,” for example, Billy Idol and David Bowie influences surround synthesized, open-toned interludes typical of Discovery-era Daft Punk. On “Hearts On Fire,” Cut Copy’s rock sensibilities take a forefront until the highly arpeggiated, anthem-like chorus brings electronic instrumentation and an infectious melody to the forefront. Despite trite and sometimes melodramatic lyrics, the intricately wound instrumental construction is entertaining in itself throughout the album, constantly evolving in both smooth and shocking ways.

An interesting shift occurs in the album during the track, “Strangers in the Wind,” which opens with bluesy guitar twangs slowly being overshadowed with glockenspiel and synthesized chords. Then, all of a sudden, the contextually confusing guitar riff is gone and it is a Cut Copy song once again, ending with a synth solo. Although this track strikes me as the weakest on the album, it stands as an example of how an experimental blues-rock-electro track can sound like it was produced by Italians Do It Better and yet still belong on a Cut Copy album.

I would recommend tracks such as “Nobody Lost, Nobody Found” (despite a rather blatant rip-off of Vitalic) and “Out There On the Ice” as showcases of Cut Copy’s evolved and more comfortably positive sound. Tracks like these, with prominent bass and a slightly more disco-influenced sound, display Cut Copy’s strengths to their full potential. However, the rather lethargic interludes do speak for the diversity of this album, as well as a more theatrical and strikingly visual feel (think of an Of Montrealian Satanic Panic in the Attic-era brand of visual appeal).

It is difficult for me to discern where this album will eventually be pigeonholed. It is a pop gem as well as a quality dance album, but it plays to so many aesthetics that is has a distinctly malleable quality. Regardless of its place within the growingly pretentious indie rock and electronic crowds, this album has a charm in its sincerity, brightness, and lack of pretense. Play this album all summer; play it loud.

Cut Copy - "Out There On the Ice" mp3
Cut Copy - "Nobody Lost, Nobody Found" mp3