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The Illusion of Safety
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Barnes and Noble
The Illusion of Safety
Current price: $15.99
Barnes and Noble
The Illusion of Safety
Current price: $15.99
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Having jumped on the prog-pop revival bandwagon kick-started by
in 2007, Anglo-Swedish trio
could have been forgiven for sticking to the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude following the success of their chart-topping debut,
, and their two huge airplay hits,
and
However, for follow-up
, they've wisely eschewed the often irritating overly quirky nature of their falsetto-led first offering in favor of a much more contemporary synth pop sound, which has more in common with the '80s output of
than the vintage theatrics of
. The elaborate multi-layered harmonies, air-punching choruses, and lead singer
' infectious enthusiasm are still as prominent as ever, but this time round, they're complemented by a more imaginative glossier production from the likes of
(
),
), and former
keyboardist
. Lead single
is a perfect example, a hook-laden pure pop song full of
-style spacy synths, swooping vocals, and fast-paced panpipes, offering more inventiveness in its three-minute running time than the entirety of their debut. The call-and-response chorus of
the glam-inspired
and the arcade game intro and self-deprecating lyrics of
are just as convincing attempts at Hi-NRG stadium-sized pop, which makes the album's occasional shift into more introspective downbeat territory even more surprising. The skittering percussion, glockenspiel backing, and abstract electronica of
could have been lifted from
's
, the techno beats and angular guitars of
echo the indie dance of
, and the haunting choral chants and sparse acoustic instrumentation of
is a strange way of closing an album that began with such pure pop vigor. But ignoring the apparent crisis of confidence that appears toward its finale,
is a well-constructed attempt at electro, bursting with potential singles, that goes some way in compensating for the cliches of their debut. ~ Jon O'Brien