Cut Copy : Zonoscope :: Review
The 1980’s have never really died. Various fashionistas, ironic hipsters and musicians have adopted and co-opted its legacy into self servicing their goals. The latter case can surely be affixed to Melbourne, Australia’s Cut Copy who revisits the decade on their third album, “Zonoscope.” Listening to “Zonoscope” is akin to time traveling with Marty McFly and getting irreparably stuck in 1985 with a broken down Delorean and no way home. Whether you think that’s a good idea or not is completely up to you and if your hipster credentials are sufficient enough to transcend the apparent time warp that occurs on “Zonoscope.”
“Zonoscope” is a completely different album for Cut Copy, a band that is keen on reinventing itself on every album. Apparently “Zonoscope” is the come down equivalent to previous Cut Copy albums and this mood is reflected both in the packaging and the song craft. From first glance at the “Zonoscope” artwork, the cover indicates that the bright colors that were obvious on “In Ghost Colours” and “Bright Like Neon Love” have been replaced with a muted out representation of New York City being swept away by a gigantic tidal wave. There’s a chilled out vibe that purveys throughout the album from the very minute it opens with an emphasis on urgent repetitive drum loops, whooshing ambient effects and lyrical insistence of timeliness reflected in both “Need You Now” and “Take Me Now.”
The change in sonic dynamics greatly influenced the recording of “Zonoscope” when compared to the concise pop anthems that punctuated their sophomore effort “In Ghost Colours.” In an interview with Pitchfork, bandleader Dan Whitford explained that the music on “Zonoscope” was created through “weird, extended jams” and that this approach produced the “repetitive, hypnotic, rhythmic” sound that the band was looking for. “Take Me Now” literally bleeds its joyful energy into the Beach Boys influenced single, “Where I’m Going” where it ebbs gracefully away. The Egyptian themed “Pharaohs and Pyramids” reaches a keyboard zenith before the album gets momentarily strange.
“Zonoscope” temporarily derails into Bananarama territory with “Blink and You’ll Miss a Revolution” which could be the second edit of “Cruel Summer.” “Strange Nostalgia” appears as studio generated fluff and the sappy ballad “This Is All We’ve Got” is too reminiscent of Cutting Crew. Cut Copy regain the momentum with the driving “Alisa” and “Corner of the Sky” before falling prey to their own vanity on the tiring 15-minute borefest of “Sun God. “Zonoscope” comes off as a transitional album, the first half is great and the second side simply meanders into ideas that appear half developed.
“Zonoscope” is available on February 8th on Modular Records.
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Greg Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 10:57 pm
I’m sorry I didn’t write the entire title for “Strange Nostalgia for the Future” out in the review. I was going by an advance that didn’t have the entire song title displayed in iTunes. I don’t know how that fails the entire review, but whatever.
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