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Making Mirrors
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Making Mirrors
Current price: $16.99
Barnes and Noble
Making Mirrors
Current price: $16.99
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Stepping out from behind the piano/drums of Melbourne indie pop three-piece
for the third time, Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist
, aka
's first solo record in five years,
, reveals a love of the '80s pop scene, which extends far beyond the usual influences of the current nu-synth brigade. The hugely experimental follow-up to 2006's
doesn't discriminate against other decades, as evident on the impossibly uplifting '60s retro soul of "I Feel Better," the '70s West Coast harmonies of the ethereal lullaby-like closer "Bronte," the '90s
-esque scuzzy garage rock of "Easy Way Out," and the 2000s hushed, claustrophobic dubstep of "Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You." But seemingly unaffected by the constant comparisons with the likes of
and
, it's the era of early new wave, dub, and worldbeat which defines its 12 tracks. Unexpected chart-topper "Somebody That I Used to Know," a collaboration with New Zealand vocalist
, is an oddball break-up song whose stuttering rhythms, reggae hooks, and hushed vocals sound like
as remixed by
, "Smoke and Mirrors" echoes the avant-garde pop of
's
, with its pounding tribal drums, orchestral flourishes, and new age melodies, while there are also nods to
's "Faith" on the acoustic gospel-pop of "In Your Light"; the impassioned Aussie rock of
on the ecologically themed "Eyes Wide Open," and electro pioneer
on the strange, vocodered vocals, spoken word samples, and skank guitars of the trippy "State of the Art." Familiar they may be, but some credit has to go to
for managing to weave these eclectic retro sounds into a cohesive affair, which proves that along with recent efforts by
, Australia is fast becoming one of the biggest purveyors of quality experimental pop. ~ Jon O'Brien