The synth pop duo's latest album lets their flamboyant personas do the heavy lifting
Empire of the Sun/ Two Vines
Since the release of their 2008 breakthrough debut album, Walking on a Dream, Australians Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore have been creating a parallel universe seemingly built and expanded on the visual aesthetics of Ziggy Stardust.
Clad in technicolour costumes complete with make-up and zany headdresses worthy of a spacey sci-fi TV episode, the pair make vibrant synth-pop that radiates an infectious sense of wide-eyed wonder. Now indie classics, hit singles Walking on a Dream and We are the People managed to outshine their larger-than-life eccentricities with lush, radio-friendly hooks. The same goes for Alive, the centrepiece of their slightly underwhelming second LP, 2013's Ice on the Dune.
With the arrival of Empire of the Sun's third studio effort, Two Vines, Emperor Steele and Lord Littlemore are still clinging tight to their outlandish garbs and narratives, this time revolving around the concept of a city reclaimed by nature.
"It's a new wave crashing in the ocean/Infinity, crystal creation/Memory whisper over water/Come with me, let's be like the ocean," Steele croons on album opener Before. "Come wash the clouds away/Can't wait for summer," he adds, setting the longing-for-summer scene for shimmering lead single High and Low. With its chorus custom-designed for a full-on arena/festival singalong, the track immediately brings to mind previous hit Alive.
The mid-tempo title track continues in this escapist trajectory with lyrics that dabble in the well-worn carpe diem sentiment and a rather puzzling chorus about vines "slowly growing right into your ears".
There's No Need is both warm and wistful despite the auto-tuned vocals, while Way to Go, co-written by Henry Hey and Tim Lefebvre of David Bowie's Blackstar band, carries a life-affirming message dedicated to the late music legend: "Doesn't matter what's tripping you out, there's ways to go/This is where we get carried away enough to start again."
Those who were partial to the EDM-driven vibes of Ice on the Dune are in for a treat when we get to dance-oriented offerings like Friends and Ride. Digital Life, on the other hand, is a nocturnal ballad in which Steele finally addresses the album's concept through the lyrics: "I'll get higher tonight when I know that you're here/Feel the digital life keeping me young/This digital life don't keep me warm."
Stunning track To Her Door finds the boys linking up with Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham, giving us a dose of meditative lushness and tender, human moments.
Sitting in that spot between lo-fi electro-pop and commercial EDM, Two Vines is essentially a happy compromise of the duo's previous releases. On this album, dance and festival-friendly songs coexist beautifully with dreamy synth-pop ballads. But by relying on their strength in crafting anthemic singalong choruses that have always been their saving grace, Empire of the Sun may be playing it a bit too safe this time around -- a shame considering their wildly outlandish image.
THE PLAYLIST
Lllll/ Pa Wang (Reverie)
"I want Thainess to be a cultural symbol that stays alive, not something that needs preserving," said Thailand's emerging mysterious musician who goes by the name of lllll. And in a bid to do just that, he's marrying all sorts of traditional Thai musical instruments including ching (finger cymbal) and khong (gong) with the darker side of electronic flourishes, resulting in something utterly unique called Pa Wang (Reverie). If you're a fan of experimental artists like Oneohtrix Point Never, Andy Stott and Forest Swords, this will go down a treat.
Kevin Morby/ Beautiful Strangers
Hot on the heels of this year's excellent solo LP Singing Saw, Texan troubadour Kevin Morby has followed up with Beautiful Strangers, a one-off single written and dedicated to the victims of terror attacks in Paris and Orlando. "And if I die too young for something I ain't done/Carry my name every day," he sings over gentle drums and carefree guitars. "If I die too young, let all that I've done be remembered/And I'll sleep easy like little Jesus, safe from danger." The song is released alongside Morby's cover of Townes Van Zandt's No Place to Fall and all proceeds go to support the work of Everytown For Gun Safety.
Tove Lo/ True Disaster
"Pretty boys, they didn't teach me things I didn't know/They don't have the thing that I need, but they don't know they don't," begins Swedish pop's "it" girl Tove Lo on True Disaster, the second cut lifted from her sophomore studio record, Lady Wood. Musically, the song is built upon a brooding electro-pop backdrop (think something along the lines of Taylor Swift's smash hit Style), some delicious finger snaps, and a sinister, catchy hook that plays to Lo's go-to theme of destructive love.
Yuna/ Poor Heart
Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna has come a long way since her breakout self-titled debut in 2012. Her new studio album, Chapters, finds her moving away from her indie-pop roots to embrace the more urban sound, working with top-tier R&B artists like Usher and Jhene Aiko. Here, we're treated to latest cut Poor Heart, a chill down-tempo jam that highlights Yuna's soulful vocals. "My poor, poor heart/I know you're tired of this all," she sings, addressing her bruised little heart. "I know you never make a sound/When you crash onto the ground/When I fall for someone I know I always let you down."
Tkay Maidza/ Simulation
On her latest cut, Adelaide's rising rap sensation Tkay Maidza shows that not only is she skilled at laying down lyrical flow but she can also carry a tune worthy of a singalong. Taken from her full-length debut TKAY, the track is a breezy dancehall-leaning pop jam reminiscent of Music of the Sun-era Rihanna. "Living on the run/Pulling at the strings 'til the lights turn on/It's too late/Living on the run, but we're staring at the wall," Maidza sings over the pastel-hued melodies before breaking out in an obligatory rap verse towards the end.
