Review
Australian band storms music scene with ‘Zonoscope’
March 10, 2011
Upon hearing the likes of Australia being in the music forefront in America, one may laugh heartily in response. But in all honesty, quite a few predominant bands in the music industry have recently made it to the American music scene directly from Australia and have released fantastic music for us to enjoy. The biggest two Australian bands on the American scene must be Empire of the Sun and most certainly Cut Copy.
Cut Copy is a rare Australian band that has officially “made it” here in the underground indie/electronic music field, having shown a steady progression throughout their albums, and have become known for stellar electronic/dance pop music.
Just recently, Cut Copy released their fourth album known simply as “Zonoscope.” Those of you readers out there not entirely familiar with Cut Copy really owe it to yourselves to give them a chance to entice you.
With this new release, I was not really sure what to fully expect of these guys; as their last album, “In Ghost Colours,” was such a masterpiece, it appeared it would be quite difficult to follow up. Yet, after hearing “Zonoscope,” my first impressions are great and feel that Cut Copy successfully made a great follow up album.
As with all of Cut Copy’s albums, a dance/indie/pop oriented musical vibe was the mantra. “Zonoscope” reaches and surpasses this with producing almost what seems to be a blast from the past, having several songs feeling a bit misplaced in our current music industry, feeling better suited for the musical greatness that was the 80s.
“Zonoscope” is highlighted with songs such as “Take Me Over,” “Where I’m Going,” and “Hanging Onto Every Heartbeat.” All of these songs tend to get the listener grooving and singing along to the mystifying and overwhelming pop sensation songs Cut Copy does just right. “Take Me Over” sounds like the product of a modern synth-based dance song mixed with the likes of the 80s one-hit wonders Men At Work’s classic lyrics and delightfulness. “Where I’m Going” and “Hanging Onto Every Heartbeat” offer a different, more relaxed melodic approach that cannot help but to float about in the listener’s head for days on end.
That said, all of these songs really deserve some air time and promotion throughout the U.S., particularly within the Twin Cities. Regardless of this fact, the overall likelihood of hearing much Cut Copy within the current music scene in the Twin Cities is rather unlikely, aside from quite possibly 89.3 The Current or our college radio station WRFW 88.7 FM.
Take some time and give them a listen, get a taste for music unknown, and have the audacity to embrace a fantastic foreign bands take on music. Cut Copy is one of Australia’s best when it comes to electronic/dance/pop music, and offers a refreshing perspective in the rather bland electronic/dance music industry that Americans have grown to accept, but could really be so much more.
Ryen Kleiser is a laid back biology student at UW-River Falls. He is hoping to become a well-known marine biologist and teacher.