Album Review: Empire Of The Sun – Walking on a dream

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Zoobille Zoo, Zoobillee Zoo….

Mark my words – the 80’s are coming back. The children of America’s most decadent decade have entered our cultural landscape armed with gated snares, an affinity for electro, and a self awareness that would rival Madonna herself. So how does such a generation, spoon fed Zoobilee Zoo and The Neverending Story begin to manifest itself in the face of a hyper literate, flash in the pan world?

Four words – and I am not referring to the coming of age war film, starring Mr. “it’s FUCKING DISTRACTING!!” Bale. I’m talking about Empire of the Sun, the newest heart throb of the indie-pop-universe. Not since Postal Service have I seen so much clamoring about a band that leans on falsetto harder than the Feds on Rod Blagojevich. There’s something strangely appealing about existential lyrics sung over dance hall beats:

“We are always running for the thrill of it thrill of it/Always pushing up the hill searching for the thrill of it/On and on and on we are calling out and out again/Never looking down I’m just in awe of what’s in front of me”

It’s the push and pull of carelessness and carefulness, pure idolatry and apt servitude that takes this band up a notch – they aren’t afraid to let girls scream their songs even if the girls don’t know what they’re about. I am perfectly ok with the synthesizer coming back into the fold as a highly used and customized instrument – as computers ravage the “natural” instrumental arrangements the average listener is accustomed to, we need to embrace it and hug its fire like a kid on too much ecstasy. As the world becomes more diverse, what was once unnatural becomes the norm, and what was once hot in the 80’s is making a comeback faster than JT brought sexy, um, back. So here’s to music that pushes us past the recession with the courage and the tenacity of decadence – here’s to Empire of the Sun.

Mp3: Empire of the Sun – Half Mast

Mp3: Empire of the Sun – Walking on a dream

Mp3: Empire of the Sun – We are the people

Empire of the Sun Myspace