The eagerly awaited second album from Empire Of The Sun definitely doesn’t disappoint if it’s good vibes and high energy that you’re after. It is however a little bit less weird and more mainstream than ‘Walking On A Dream’, the band’s debut, though it’s hard to tell that from looking at the outlandish cover! By ‘less weird’ I mean that some of the quirks that made the first album so enjoyable have been ironed out a bit, leaving more solid four to the floor pop songs than ones that can really baffle and bewitch the listener. Give it a few listens, though, and songs like the first single ‘Alive’ start burning their way in to your consciousness. ‘Concert Pitch’, ‘DNA’ and the title track follow, while in the middle of the album there’s a little time to indulge in Balearic flavours. Not quite as good as the last one, then – but the warm rushes of sound and Luke Steele’s vocals, still instantly recognisable, ensure there is still much to make you smile here.
4 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
