Durr…Nearly forgot. Just because I wrote it for my final Queerty round, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist as a proper review in its own right!
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Australia is good for only two things: Kangaroos and Dannii Minogue. However, it seems the country can now add another element to the list: Glam-rock dance-pop.
After trailblazing efforts made by fellow Sydney artists The Presets and Sneaky Sound System in 2008, Empire of the Sun is now charting their way into a reg’lar Australian Invasion.
Luke Steele (The Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore (Pnau) comprise Empire of the Sun, a glam-dance-rock outfit on the brink of something brilliant. And judging by the eccentric garb the duo dons, the word “outfit” isn’t to be taken lightly–The band’s bringing the Bowie like no one’s business.
Single choices are obvious here, including “Walking On A Dream,” a soothing, synth-fused stroll between Arcade Fire and Cyndi Lauper‘s “Time After Time.”
“We Are The People” is another standout; a summery, ’90’s-esque rush of energy recalling Jennifer Paige‘s “Crush.” (Remember her?!)
Most of the album flourishes within a seductive landscape of vintage electro-swagger and guitar strums. It’s only on the final moment, “Without You,” that the band teeters too far into nostalgia, playing like the background song from every prom scene in every 1980’s teen comedy–ever.
Still, not everything’s so serious: “Delta Bay” lifts the robot from Daft Punk‘s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” and adds a few hand claps, while the plop-happy “Swordfish Hotkiss Night” and its hook-heavy contents promises to slosh ’round your mind long after the album fades.
So board up the windows and hide the vegemite–The Aussies are coming.
Click above to check out the “Walking On A Dream” EP NOW!