From Here To Anywhere - Album Review

This is a revised version of a review I wrote for Channel V, which might explain why it's a bit more... restrained than usual. Enjoy!

Sneaky Sound System's third album picks up where their underrated 2008 sophomore effort "2" left off - with a dreamy mix of '80s synths and cutting-edge electronica. Only this time around, the Australian duo is less concerned with crafting radio-ready pop hits (although there is no shortage of singleworthy material) and more intent on putting their own unique spin on an ambitious array of dance music sub-genres.

Album opener "Friends" rides a thumping bassline all the way to a gigantic chorus that heralds the return of two of the nation's best songsmiths. The track is seeped in lashings of late '90s house-beats, which should prove irresistible to clubbers and pop fans alike. That gem is followed by their current radio hit "Big" and the album's misguided lead single "We Love". The latter is the easily the weakest moment on "From Here To Anywhere" and, unfortunately, gives a false impression of what the third-coming of Sneaky Sound System is all about.

Happily, that generic club-banger makes way for the shimmery "Really Want To See You Again" and all is forgiven. Miss Connie really shows her vocal chops on this effortlessly pretty tune and continues to mine the heartbreak on the Human League-inspired "Remember". Albeit this time against a towering wall of synths. After a couple of sonic detours, the duo return to more commercial ground on "The Colours" and "I Need You So". Both are expertly crafted floorfillers and will, no doubt, find their way to a nightclub near year you in the not too distant future.

Perhaps more interesting is the ambitious "1984", which sounds like a bizarre cross between Pet Shop Boys and Enigma. The quirky lyrics and experimental production flourishes mark this as one of the band's most accomplished tunes. "I'm Not Leaving", on the other hand, is the record's pure pop moment. An irresistibly catchy blend of '80s Donna Summer and early noughties Kylie Minogue, this summery tune is destined to be a future single.

The album closes with "Lovetown", a sexy Balearic anthem that shows how far Miss Connie and Black Angus have come in the past three years. "From Here To Anywhere" is a perfectly judged comeback from one of the country's most consistently brilliant pop acts.

8/10

Edit: My only criticism of this fantastic album is the lack of killer singles. It suffers a bit from Aphrodite-itis. there are lots of very good songs but only two that really scream out to be played on the radio ("Big" and "I'm Not Leaving"). I like that the band is exploring new sounds but it would be sad to see them descend into the cool-electronica-that-nobody-buys ghetto currently occupied by Miami Horror and Cut Copy.

The Second Coming Of SSS

Ok, that headline is a little dramatic but "Big" is so breathtakingly brilliant that it feels like a whole new beginning for Sneaky Sound System. Over the years, the electro-pop pioneers have been a regular feature on the blog - I still maintain that "2" is one of the best Australian albums of the noughties - but I almost lost interest with "We Love". The song isn't as jaw-droppingly awful as Rogue Traders' "Love Is A War" or Vanessa Amorosi's "Gossip" (two notable hari-kari lead singles from hit acts) but it was a generic bore with the year's most pretentious and embarrassing video. It was enough to put me off their whole third album until I randomly heard "Big" in a shop and stopped dead in my tracks.

This is the kind of euphoric electro-pop that sets Sneaky Sound System apart from the competition. Miss Connie and Black Angus deliver a sweeping dance-ballad with dreamy synths and a devastatingly gorgeous chorus. It's easily one of the best songs of 2011 and a stunning return to form. I'm just not sure how a soft and pretty love letter of a song like this will compete against the formulaic club bangers and cheap RedOne knock-offs currently clogging the airwaves. "Big" is probably too refined and sophisticated for its own good but all of a sudden I'm counting down the days until "From Here To Anywhere" drops. If the rest of the album is this good, we're in for something special. And happily, the video is also a step in the right direction. Basically Miss Connie stands on a balcony looking wistful but at least there are no anal beads this time around.