It looks like Modular have struck gold again. The Australian label responsible for Cut Copy and Ladyhawke, among many others, present to us the music of Canyons, a duo comprising Ryan Grieve and Leo Thomson. Their approach is built firmly on live instrumentation, as ‘Circadia / Under A Blue Sky’ quickly reveals with a blast of saxophone above the busy synthesizers, but crucially they have the songs to go with the musical virtuosity, and you’ll be singing a lot of them after just a couple of listens to this finely constructed album. Grooves like ‘My Rescue’ are packed with energetic drum fills and pulsing keyboards even before we get to the vocals, which in this case is a powerful turn from Ramona Gonzalez. ‘When I See You Again’ is a bit more wistful but still funky, bringing to mind blue sky, sun and sand. Countering these are the low slung ‘Tonight’, which takes a bit of time out for dreamy reflection, and ‘See Blind Through’, a confident slower groove that brings the likes of Azari & III to mind. All these different elements make for an album that continues to deliver, its bursts of positivity punching the January blues firmly in the gut.
Ben Hogwood
5 out of 5
