Late of the Pier - Fantasy Black Channel (Album)
Formed in 2001, Late of the Pier make up the plethora of indie-electro fusion bands sweeping away the charts and our hearts, with their nomenclature style. However, despite there being an overburden of the genre, we all can’t help but stamp our feet and clap our hands, as is the way with current electronica standards.
Entertaining the musical styling of Samuel Dust, Francis Dudley Dance, Jack Paradise and Red Dog Consuela, they are currently signed to Parlophone Records. This album is their first full-length release, however, previously they have had a number of singles on Moshi Moshi Records.
Fantasy Black Channel is definitely similar to older, as well as contemporary British electronica, with notable comparisons between Gary Numan and Klaxons. Whilst it may not be as unique as expected, The archetypal British pop meets Synthesizer, I cannot help but keep the record on repeat. That in mind, Late of the pier is one of those bands, which will appeal to all tastes in music (they may prove slightly unsettling if you are into rap or death metal). The whole album capitalizes on the ability to sample cross-genre and creates a very diverse sound throughout each track. Evidently, their touring has managed to amass them a younger, teenage audience.
Late of The Pier, have definitely made the wisest moves in regards to sound, squeezing themselves into a niche that isn’t dying anytime soon. The Anglophillic step music is taking appears to be more than just a new brush-over phase.
The stand out songs of the album, haven’t changed at its release and remain the singles; Space and the Woods is my favourite, it is oddly reminiscent of the 80’s more so than some of the other tracks, the other noteworthy mentionable is; The Bears are coming, a catchy track, with an intense, rhythm section.
Another appealing element is the lyrical themes that late of the pier employ. Although subject matter is focused around suicide, depression and rebellion. Aspects which have probably won them the respect of British teenagers and soon the world. They are relatively easy to comprehend and relate to, being slightly older than the average teenager, even I managed to sing-along without feeling too creepy.
So if your tastes, slide into the abstract and umbrella genre of electronica, I can highly recommend Late of the Pier. They are easy to enjoy and catchy, for fans of; Klaxons, The Wombats, Gary Numan and those Dance-Punk bands finding their way to mainstream listening. If I were to give them a rating, 9/10, I’m impressed by the ability to take a black and white genre and make it interesting without changing the instructions.
