ARTIST:
CUT/COPY


ALBUM:
ZONOSCOPE


KEY TRACKS:
SUN GOD
NEED YOU NOW
WHERE I'M GOING
PHARAOHS AND PYRAMIDS


"Are your going to give me your love?  Love would be enough"


This album has been on heavy rotation in my library ever since it was released back in February 2011 and it still sounds just as good as the first play.  Australia's dance-pop group Cut/Copy started in 2001 and  have been steadily progressing in sound (and size) ever since.  My first listen with Cut/Copy was on their sophomore album:  In Ghost Colours.  And let me tell you, I was instantly hooked.  This band knows just the right combination of synth dance beats and catchy guitar melodies to create a sound that delicately walks the line between rock and electro-pop.

It was initially Cut Copy's heavy synth sound that drew me to them.  I was also 20 at the time and obsessed with electronic bands like Passion Pit, MGMT, M.I.A. among others.  However, as time passes, people change and preferences evolve.  My musical tastes, much like the rest of me, have also grown up.  


What's particularly special about this album is Cut/Copy's evident musical maturity.  This band has really grown together and have produced a record that is sophisticated and perfectly cohesive.  The tracks blend seamlessly together (a trait that they've carried with them from Colours) with delightfully unique transitions.  It reminds the listener that listening to an album is an experience, not just a handful of tracks.  And much like a book, this album has a beginning, a middle, and a glorious 15 minute ending track.  It's really meant to be listened to in one sitting.  


The album's opener, Need You Now, gently lets you sink into that transient state necessary to appreciate electronic music.  What's interesting here is the duality of this track.  The fact that it really sounds both relaxing and energizing at the same time.  Tribal drums open for the album's next standout track Where I'm Going.  Probably the least "dance-rock" track on the album, but no less entertaining.  Pharaohs an Pyramids is a real triumph of a track from this record.  This track is a true showcase of the musical maturity of this group.  the melodies in this particular track are intricate and the vocals equally complex to match.  It takes great skill to accomplish such a distinctive melody and beat and this track serves as a testament to that.


My favorite is the albums epic --and I mean EPIC-- closer:  Sun God.  What a track, more like a musical odyssey.  This track envelopes you within the heavy bass and synths.  What's ridiculous is that you barely notice how long this track is until it's already hit the 10 minute marker.  This track --much like the album as a whole-- is just that easy to get lost in.

LISTEN: SUN GOD | PHARAOHS AND PYRAMIDS | WHERE I'M GOING | NEED YOU NOW

   

   NEXT WEEK:  BON IVER | BON IVER