Empire of the Sun deliver the goods

Empire of the Sun
“Ice on the Dune“
(Astralwerks)

Empire of the Sun‘s new album opens with the instrumental track “Lux,” using drums of epic grandeur to build the anticipation for a record we have waited five years to hear.

That’s followed by “DNA,” a surefire single and the strongest track on ”Ice on the Dune.“ The voice of lead singer Luke Steele - who has co-written songs for Usher and Beyonce - blends nicely as he sings ”be my DNA“ over a brilliant beat, which results in a pounding chorus.

The Australian electronic duo‘s sophomore album and follow-up to 2008’s ”Walking on a Dream“ is polished. It seems like almost every song could be a summer anthem.

The lyrics are loved up, and even in the slower moments on the record, Empire of the Sun gets it right. The title track is dreamy and smooth, as Steele sings: “Let‘s go running away, we can always be together,” and “I’ll Be Around” hits you with Fleetwood Mac style.

Wherever you dance this summer, you will be dancing to this record.

(AP)


The Dear Hunter on target with new album

The Dear Hunter
“Migrant”
(Equal Vision)

It‘s always a challenge for musicians as technically talented as the members of The Dear Hunter not to get lost in their own world and forget to make music for others. On its fifth album, ”Migrant,“ The Dear Hunter handles the balance well.

Whether it’s the crush of guitars on ”Bring You Down“ or the gentle interplay of piano and strings on the slower ”Shame,“ there‘s tension and urgency on the tracks that knits them together thematically.

Lead singer Casey Crescenzo delivers stirring vocals that burst with emotion but stay clear of bombast. He walks that tightrope nicely.

A lot of thought has to go into mixing this many instruments, this well, and not making a mess of things. Producer Mike Watts gets a big hat tip. A lot of sounds that could have overpowered each other, or gotten lost in the shuffle, are delivered perfectly here and a strong album is stronger for his deft touch.

(AP)


Black Angels bring on modern psychedelia

The Black Angels
“Indigo Meadow”
(Blue Horizon Ventures)

Imagine tossing bands from the pantheon of American psychedelia like The Electric Prunes, Count Five, 13th Floor Elevators and The Seeds into your blender, adding a splash of Sabbath and a dollop of early Soundgarden or Mudhoney, and you’ve got Austin‘s The Black Angels.

On ”Indigo Meadow,“ these Texans keep this elixir swirling. Their fourth album is modern psychedelia, true to the earlier form, with all the weird, hypnotic, fuzzy guitar sounds and dirgelike keyboards, only really well produced.

Their lyrics are a little darker than the romanticism associated with the `60s psychedelic bands. The flavors borrowed from “Paranoia”-era Sabbath, or pre-grunge Seattle, give the band a hard edge.

Listen to “I Hear Colors (Chromaesthesia)” or ”Twisted Light“ and you may wonder, is the year 1966 or 2013? Or maybe more to the point: Is someone still manufacturing psychedelic drugs in the heart of Texas?

(AP)