Every Thursday, Pop Addict presents infectious tunes from contemporary musicians across indie rock, pop, folk, electronica, and more.
Cut Copy: Zonoscope (Modular, 2/8/11)
Cut Copy: “Take Me Over”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/4nqlsvsn9c.mp3|titles=Cut Copy: “Take Me Over”]Indie has evolved drastically over the years. The genre is defined differently by anyone, and for good reason. In the past decade alone, it has borrowed from nearly every genre of music, with a plethora of bands infusing their music with rock, blues, jazz, folk, techno, metal, shoegaze, dubstep — the list goes on and on. Keeping in step with this pattern, indie has recently developed a kinship to dance pop, and it has fully embraced the metamorphosis that it underwent in the past few years.
The transition was perhaps at its peak in 2008, when widely unknown Cut Copy burst on the scene with the exceptional In Ghost Colours. The Australia-based band was armed with an expansive sound, showcasing soaring dance-pop anthems and a good portion of sunnyside-up indie pop. The album fused elements of dance, rock, pop, techno, and more together, offering an action-packed LP that was bent on making you move and sway whether you wanted to or not.
Now, Cut Copy has returned with the much-anticipated Zonoscope, and its carefully nurtured dance pop is just as good as ever. The album picks up where In Ghost Colours left off, with energetic, hook-laden melodies and songs that flow into each other seamlessly and effortlessly. The band’s sound is as full as ever, with drums and guitars lined with an abundance of keyboards, dance beats, and synthesizers, as well as an array of percussion and rhythmic meanderings.
Though Zonoscope doesn’t include the instant-classic anthems that made In Ghost Colours such a gem (“Lights and Music,” “Out There on the Ice,” “Hearts On Fire,” etc.), Zonoscope does feature a number of upbeat, catchy tunes that get stuck in your head. From the aboriginal keyboard arrangement on the drum-and-bass-driven “Blink and You’ll Miss the Revolution” to the harmonies and experimentalism present on the 15-minute “Sun God,” Cut Copy has indeed crafted something notable, as far as quality of music is concerned.
Like In Ghost Colours, Zonoscope is layered with numerous musical textures, adding a vast depth to the songs’ craftsmanship. In fact, there is never a dull moment. Once it starts, there’s no chance for turning it off or browsing from track to track. The album flows fluidly, packing a series of surprises that arise constantly and keep you waiting to hear what will happen next.
If nothing else, Zonoscope reminds us that it’s okay for music to be, well, fun. Songs like “Take Me Over” and “Where I’m Going” put a smile on your face, as you can’t help but bob your head. Oftentimes music can get caught up in a hullabaloo of personal agendas or political motives. We sometimes forget that music can just be — that not everything has to achieve some cathartic experience.
In a genre that has its head up its own ass more often than not, Cut Copy reminds us why we listen to music in the first place: because it makes us feel good. It’s almost as if the band had that in mind throughout the entirety of Zonoscope. There are no pretensions or elitisms; there is just a damn-good band from a land down under making a record that gives you a good feeling inside. And, really, that’s what music should be doing anyway. Gladly, there is a band like Cut Copy that can achieve that feeling so easily.