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There is an old saying that says you know you're getting old when policeman start looking young. This also seems to apply to synthpop bands & never more so than in the case of Seth Questor & Victoria Angell, the two young American whippersnappers who have produced this excellent debut, the sleeve pictures make them look barely out of school!!
That doesn't mean that they don't know what it's about when it comes to producing some seriously good synthpop & while the slightly 'rough around the edges' feel has been quoted by some as a weakness if this were absent an important part of the duo's appeal would be lost.Even the fact that the opening "Run" does expose some limitations to Victoria's vocals actually adds to the youthful naievity that the lyrics refer to.Having said that, the more offbeat tracks such as "Falling Into Dreams", the harder hitting "Remember" & "Too Much" where a sexily husky delivery contributes towards what is probably the album's highlight all show where the duo's talent really lies, really making you sit up & listen."Uranium" takes this harder edge to it's limit, with the music & the references to the depeleted uranium controversy both running close to EBM territory.
In addition to these songwriting skills Xero G have the knack of injecting the unexpected into certain tracks that might raise the odd eyebrow but makes all the difference.One example of this is the old-style brass band opening of "Gale Wind" (although the electro stylings soon gain their rightful ascendancy) & the new-agey melodic twitterings of the instrumental "Deep Force" are another impressive touch.This, along with "Digital Soul" proves that Xero G are just as at home writing instrumentals while the rave effects used here are another facet of the duo's sound as are the rapped/spoken vocals of"Carry On" which contribute towards this action packed piece.The cover of The Who's "Baba O'Reilly" is another superb piece with thumping rhythms, good vox &, towards the end, some seriously hot synth soloing that show Questor's keyboard skills to excellent effect.
With youth on their side, this duo have an extremely bright future ahead of them & this debut will see them off to a flying start. Top of the class, without a doubt!!
RATING: 8
Artist Link: http://www.ninthwaverecords.com
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