Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream [Album]

Virgin Records

March 12, 2009, 01:48 PM

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And so here we have it the musical of the film of the book Empire Of The Sun by JG Ballard with Christian "You're a fucking amateur" Bale replaced by men dressed as a cross between Adam Ant's love child, a Thundercat, and Beauty & The Beast (the dude from the shit TV show specifically) any hint of the original story long gone, no more Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich or Spielberg or war.


Of course this is not strictly true (actually it's a total lie!) but the band are named after the book though quite why is unclear as there is no semblance that I can see but it's only a title so no matter. What is clear is that Empire Of The Sun are two Bruce's from Oz dressed as two Sheila's - the two Bruce's are in fact Luke Steele of Sleepy Jackson fame and Nick Littlemore from Pnau; not to overlook Pnau but I'm going to, if you remember The Sleep Jackson then you will be aware the sort of music Steele can give birth to 'Good Dancers', 'Vampire Racecourse', 'Miniskirt' ring any bells. Unfortunately this has all been thrown from a very great height and landed in a very splattered MGMT baiting heap left smelling of cash-in, though to be quite honest it smells good.


Going 80's, retro, whatever you want to call it seems to be some sort of crazy popular movement at the moment; hell, even the fashion is coming back around god help us, and along with MGMT, Empire Of The Sun are at the head of the queue for some of it all. From the opening loose guitar of 'Standing On The Shore' that gives way to a typically 80's electro beat to the finale of 'Without You' that's like Vangelis if he lightened up a bit on Blade Runner and recruited Prince for some vocals, there is a defiant return to the sounds of the past I was just waiting for the sample of a soda stream to appear. It might just be me but I couldn't help hear referential points from the decade the more I listened to the 'Walking On A Dream' they just keep creeping up on you for example 'Country' is quite simply a bizarre updating of the Twin Peaks theme tune scarily so, I ended up dreaming of backwards talking midgets - again!

So apart from 1980 to 1989 what does 'Walking On A Dream' sound like, well 'Standing On The Shore' is a glam stomp if imagined by Daft Punk and sung by a bunch of tree-hugging hippy's backed by some mermaid sirens calling you to shore. The title track and first single 'Walking On A Dream' is an electro-pop classic and to be honest just check-out the video and it will say it all:


.....see what I mean, are you feeling the funky Manga shape throwing? 'Half Mast' features a gloriously falsetto-esque chorus of "Oh, oh, oh honey I need you round, I know, I know" and is set to the musical whimsy of something from the soundtrack to Mannequin the film with that mad-shagger from Sex and the City. 'Delta Bay' is very much Purple Rain-era Prince with it's funky groove and dirty-thump intro but is somewhat spoilt by the vocals that sound; funnily enough, like the midget from Twin Peaks made all the more weird by the next track being 'Country'. For some technological balladeering look no further than 'The World' with it's soaring sci-fi-synth-scapes and deftly haunting vocals. Points must go to 'Swordfish Hotkiss Night' for best title on show and it's a fat slab of grungy disco funk with almost hip-hop vocals mixed in with big-bass and hushed whispers - curious.

And really that is a word that sums up both Empire Of The Sun and 'Walking On A Dream', they are both very curious indeed, utterly compelling and yet totally baffling at the same time. It's almost a step on from the bar set by MGMT as they brazenly wear their influences on their sleeves where as MGMT look to disguise and subterfuge. Unfortunately the MGMT thing is going to hang around but it's no great burden as they have made an album equally as great and a wonderful homage to the finer points of 80's culture.

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