Antartica Takes It! – Constellations
A world willing to take Darwin Deez to its heart (and quite rightly, such is his mastery of the zeitgeist that my 9 year old performs a “Darwin Deez Dance Of The Day”) must have a place for the second album from Antarctica Takes It! Actually, Constellations is probably ideal for anyone who finds Darwin too dark. I find many people coming to mind when I listen to bits and pieces here but overall this is the sort of Pop masterwork that always comes from one throbbing sugar soaked brain (that of Dylan McKeever ). He is wise enough to employ female vocals to fill out the sound and give emotional balance. On “Straight To Your Heart” the effect is to bring the nasal twang of the much missed Waitresses back.
From the 59th Street Bridge grooviness of Bossa there is a lightness of touch but not lo-fi – in fact it is beautifully clear. Euphoria of the nerds is evident on the white soul of C&F (peculiarly it reminds me of Van Morrison , Town Called Malice AND Jonathan Richman ). The album has a Southern Swing insouciance in places, never more than the title tracks innocent desire for romantic reconciliation. The whole mood is one of love’s delicious arrival and wistful loss – it always travels hopefully, never sounding pitiful, just sometimes delicately fragile. The female vocals sound emotionally stronger than the male – as they should. The female lead Stay In Bed is more ballsy than the aching barber shop harmonies of the gents on Voices. The violins on the tracks bring the sound of 80s folk pop like Celtic Dexy’s or the Bluebells . Thunderstruck with its’ Island funkiness is simply superb, the guitar thundering in the middle to provide the only heaviness on show. This should be all over radio. And finally after the thunder comes the rain of the “me against the world” ballad Bedrooms. The loss must be conquered, play from track one again, you WILL find someone new.
This album is a major marvel on a minor label.