Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours (2008)

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It's a pretty good record, it has to be said.

Their brand of indie-electro pop is played to perfection; it's an album you can listen to from start to finish in a single sitting without getting bored and without any interruption to the overall flow of the songs. It's catchy enough to appeal to casual listeners, and it's got enough tight-jeaned electro swagger to appeal to the club kids.

To the listener unversed in the art of modern electro (the indie-pop dilettante) Cut Copy brings to mind the wave of New Romantic 80s synth-pop. Boppy enough for the dance floor, but with a great cut (Hearts On Fire) that can be trimmed for radio play.

"In Ghost Colours" represents the past, present and future of music in a neat little Australian package. Drawing on disco and 80s synth influences, splashing around some French house sensibility, and layering in some distorted and understated guitar, "In Ghost Colours" is a damn fine album.

It is possible that some may draw unfair comparisons between electro champions Justice, whose gritty, dirty debut was quite brilliant. Cut Copy are not a band in the mould of Justice or Daft Punk or even The Presets; Cut Copy have more in common than Flock Of Seagulls than with Fatboy Slim.

Their upbeat, mellow pop will appeal to fans of the aforementioned electro acts, but not exclusively, and not entirely. While it's well known that the live experience isn't as fantastic as most would like, which is understandable (their music is, and I don't mean this is a bad way, background music) it shouldn't take anything away from the Cut Copy experience as a while.

It is great party music; well crafted and well performed, but not too distracting. I have to emphasise what I mean by this: "In Ghost Colours" is the kind of party album you can play at a party made up of people with fairly diverse tastes. It's not obnoxious enough to annoy a rock fan but not mellow enough to wrinkle the brow of a house fan. What it does, it does well and congrats to the CC boys for achieving what they have.

"In Ghost Colours" reminds me of the Midnight Juggernauts debut album, but instead of a "Dystopia"it's an uplifting Utopia of hook-laden indie-pop. Fans of Cut Copy won't be disappointed; this album contains everything you could want from them. Hearts On Fire is a standout track, but the album as a whole is excellently structured and well produced.

A highly recommend album. 

RATING: 4 out of 5

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