Cut Copy - Bright Like Neon Love

I have heard rumors that 80s-style technopop was back for a few years now, but not until I popped in the debut long player by Cut Copy did I feel like the music had been truly recaptured. If you put New Order, (early-ish) Depeche Mode and Daft Punk in a blender, you’d get Bright Like Neon Love, which, if you love that music like I do, is probably the closest thing to heaven you’ll find this year. From the minute you lay eyes on the bright pink disc with fab zig-zaggy green neon lettering, you get the vibe. This could very well be the soundtrack to a John Hughes film. Cut Copy’s main man, Dan Whitford, hails from Australia, but since the album was produced by a Frenchman, it doesn't take long to recognize that frothy, ethereal French syth-pop sound that permeates bands like Air, Stereolab (at least their latest) and Daft Punk. This comes out especially on “Saturdays,” which sounds a lot like Stardust’s “The Music Sounds Better With You.” There isn't really a huge amount of variation musically on the album. Most of the tracks have a poppy, casio-left-on-one-setting sound. But all in all, like I said before, if you like that sort of music, you will be happy. The optimistic “Time Stands Still” opens the record on a high note and will have you smiling and bobbing your head within five seconds. Another standout track is “Autobahn Music Box.” Like a lot of the vocals on the album, the ones on this track sound like they have been run through a computer, but the music is a little heavier than on the other tracks, and that’s the part I like best. There’s a little darker edge to it and more variety to the rhythm. Just about every track on Bright Like Neon Love is bouncy, even the sad songs, and the nostalgia factor is turned up to 11 (particularly if you find yourself over 30). Although what’s on this album may come off initially as breezy and light, the songs are layered and well-crafted. Think of Bright Like Neon Love as sort of a meringue: very light, very fluffy and very hard to do well…but rather nice when it works. [www.modularpeople.com]