London based four-piece The Microdance may have a name that automatically conjures images of an eighties revival act, but they prove to be a fascinating mix of ethereal shoegaze, heady psychedelic melodies and fuzz-drenched guitars recalling the early work of the verve, Seafood and the Smashing Pumpkins (from whom Nicole Fiorentino guests on a number of tracks). The music is lovely, slow-building , often hypnotic and the album as a whole is a swirling explosion of kaleidoscopic colours that absorb the listener from the get go. It’s the sort of cohesive listening experience that so few bands seem to concentrate on these days, preferring to target soundbites at the Ipod generation, and so ‘new waves of hope’ stands as a refreshing alternative to the mainstream norm that will find its way into the hearts and minds of anyone who prefers their music to be undiluted by the vagaries of fashion.
Opening amidst a wall of howling feedback, The Microdance hit upon a crystalline groove with ‘we meet in dreams’, with Alex Keevill’s blissed out vocal drifting amidst the washes of guitar and synth. With female vocals wafting through the ether, it’s the sort of emotionally charged epic that Billy Corgan used to deliver so well, filtered through the modern rush of acts such as Nordic Giants and it’s a wondrous start to an album that seems to consistently reach for the sky. ‘Mudlark’ sees the guitars gain new weight as Eric Gardener unleashes an earth shattering barrage from behind his kit, but the song remains wonderfully light of touch, the vocals whispering and soothing even as guitar and bass whip up a storm beneath them. Pure pop with just a hint of grit in the chorus, ‘making plans for the end’ is a sonic rush that will be familiar to anyone who’s ever stood bug-eyed next to one of those day-glo herbal high stalls in the midst of a festival, only for ‘Mi Perro Blanco’ to tear the mood to pieces with huge grungy chords and a dark atmosphere that draws comparisons with the Cure as does its successor, the bass-heavy ‘come back to me my lover in the sky’, another track which makes wonderful use of the male/female harmonies and rippling guitar work, wrapping the listener in a fine cocoon of sonic silk. The lengthy ‘the city was cruel to our love’ strips the music down to its most elemental level, with the vocals drifting out of a heat-haze of reverb before an acoustic strum emerges from the depths to draw the music forward. Recalling the likes of Spiritualized with its delicate beauty offset by just a touch of electric guitar, it’s a pop song to die for and it’s hard to imagine anybody listening to The Microdance without falling just a little bit in love with a band capable of weaving so delicate a mesh around the listener.
Keeping the pace at a somnolent level, ‘new waves of hope’ is a short, arty piece of music that drifts through shafts of sunlight only to suddenly explode into the metallic tsunami of ‘smithereens’ which, aptly named, supercharges the atmosphere with an explosive introduction that leaves the listener gasping. Less explosive but still fast paced, ‘We are the hope machine’ operates in the same sphere as the Arcade Fire with its shimmering leads and layered vocals before ‘Heeby Jeeby’ places the band inside some arcane music box and leaves them playing for all eternity in the corner of some dusty attic. It’s a strange song, full of whispered vocals and atypical fx and yet, as you drift, it builds itself to a climax that burns and fizzes with an energy reminiscent of ‘Gish’-era Pumpkins. ‘Slanted Jessie’ returns to that dreamy pop feel that works so well on ‘we meet in dreams’ whilst ‘126 dreamless sleeps’ is a haunted march through the cold landscape of a pre-dawn world where few people are abroad and the cities sleep. Short and sweet, ‘The weight of holding you up’ is a song adrift on a calm ocean, a thousand miles from land, that sees the listener drifting gently upon the current towards the electronica-augmented ‘this malaise is over’ which draws upon the lush soundscapes of post-rock to finally lull the listener into sleep.
Clearly yearning for the time when an album was an experience rather than a collection of songs that happen to be on the same disc, The Microdance are a band out of time. Although there is huge potential in these songs to cross into a wider market thanks to the dreamy melodies and inventive arrangements, the music is clearly written to satisfy the band first and the audience second, and by creating an album the microdance have ensured the longevity of their release. This is a bold, arty, lovely release that can soothe and caress and yet isn’t afraid to show its claws at times. Like a dream, the listener is drawn through the soundscapes in thrall to the music and unable to pull away, and the end of the album comes with as genuine sense of regret as you emerge blinking into the sunlight. ‘New waves of hope’ is a beautiful album that will work its way deep into the minds of those prepared to give it a chance, and The Microdance deserve to be huge – take a trip with the band, you won’t regret it.
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