At the beginning of the summer, I picked up Cut Copy’s 2008 release “In Ghost Colours” after reading a number of very positive reviews –- some of which were labeling it one of the best albums of the year. I first heard about the band from a Pitchfork review of Coachella, where the reviewer basically said Cut Copy put on the best performance of the festival. Even though “dance rock” (which is probably how I would label this band) is not my favorite thing out there, I enjoy it enough and thought I’d check this album out.
Right from the start, I was smacked in the face with the cheesiness of “In Ghost Colours.” In-your-face synthesizers and some extremely corny lyrics are all over this album. Certain songs make me want to roll up the windows of my car so other people can’t hear what I’m listening to. Such lyrics (which are repeated over and over in their respective songs) include: “Lights and music…are on my mind. Be my baby…one more time” and “With heart on fire, I reach out to you tonight.”
I couldn’t believe this band that produced such over-the-top dance pop was receiving all of those accolades I read about. Gradually over the past couple months, I started to notice, however, that I wasn’t removing the album from my CD player. It went from me skipping through to the songs that I actually dug, to sticking with a few more of the songs (even though I thought they were totally cheesy!), to letting the album play all the way through. It felt like the scene in “Tommy Boy” where they’re flipping through the radio stations (“Talk about lame…”).
So despite some of the corniness, I’ve decided on three main reasons why I actually like the album. First, there are three songs that I think are just flat-out great songs. Not surprisingly for me, the songs are the least “dancy” and they feature more guitar and drums, as opposed to synths and drum machine. Those songs would be: “Unforgettable Season” (track 5), “So Haunted” (track 7) and “Strangers in the Wind” (track 12). These are actually songs that I don’t mind listening to with the windows down.
Another thing I like about the album is the use of vocal loops throughout most of the songs. Ooos and aahs are looped as backing vocals, giving the songs different layers. The effect gives off a spacey feel and makes the band sound bigger than its three-member arrangement.
The third, and probably my favorite, thing about “In Ghost Colours” is the seamless transitions between songs. I’m a big fan of song transitions in general, but I think this album does a great job of pulling it off. Occasionally they throw in the 30-second filler transition to get to the next song, but they’re always kept short enough so that you don’t feel the need to skip through them. The songs flow together nicely without too much meandering.
This album, for the time being, is still in my car. I’ll be listening to it –- although not when anyone else is in the car, and probably with the windows up.
OD I don't think you could have put it any better. You told me to pick this one up and I did. I hide in my apartment and listen to it. It can be embarrassing to get busted listening to the likes of Mr. Mister. I am such a sucker for the 80's and this disc coupled with the new M83 is like reliving a John Hugues movie.
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