Empire Of The Sun - Ice On The Dune [Review]

Posted on Jun 17, 2013 in Brand New, Dance Floor, Electro-Pop, Electronic, Reviews

It has taken five years, but Empire of the Sun has returned. And they’ve arrived with a whole new level of focus and dazzling glory, much more in tune with their EDM-side.

2008’s Walking on a Dream introduced us to a flamboyant Australian glam-dance duo who reveled in youthfulness, jumping freely from whimsical electronica to Beck-like rap to hybrid rock. Empire’s Luke Steele described the theme of the debut album to Prefix Magazine as trying to capture the variety of feelings contained in life’s “profound moments”. The result was a fascinating and highly successful introduction that wouldn’t be easy to follow.

With their new album Ice on the Dune, Empire has become much more refined, trading their scattershot spectrum of sound for a simpler presentation both lyrically and sonically. They trend away from tracks like “We Are the People” and “Swordfish Hotkiss Night”, replacing varied styles for mere variations of one – electronic dance pop. With this comes infectious hooks, sidechained sing-a-longs and plenty of shoegaze electronica. But thankfully, underneath the simplicity and dance-forward focus, the same crown-adorned glam-funk remains, albeit subtly.

There could be no better way to prove that they still have a flair for the dramatic than with the introductory “Lux”, a magnificently theatrical piece that, even in its one-minute length, carries more suspense than any Michael Bay film. From here, the album launches into “DNA”, a pure four-on-the-floor, hands-in-the-air dance-pop banger, and “Alive” and “Concert Pitch” follow the same manic energy. Affectionate sing-a-longs soar as a lyrical theme of the album becomes obvious. “I don’t wanna go, I just wanna ride with you/ ‘Cause then I know I’ll be by your side/ With you tonight”. Not to mention the “oohs” of the bright 80s power-pop “Ice Dune” which idealistically suggests “Let’s go running away, we can always be together.”

The rest of the album returns closer to the comforts of Walking on a Dream. Somewhat dark but dreamy electronica changes up the pace beautifully with increased funk and unique vocal arrangements. In particular, “I’ll Be Around” features wandering guitar riffs powerful enough to melt the sun into the horizon, and “Disarm” instantly calms with a hypnotic hook. It’s here in the middle where the album is most adventurous, if only to be followed by the least inspired “Old Flavours” and “Celebrate”.

The finale act is almost as cinematic as the first with the soaring “Keep a Watch”. Climaxing slowly, the track overflows with an almost David Bowie or Tubes-like emotional out pour. It’s truly a grand finale which makes perfectly clear all you’ve heard is more than mindless dance-pop.

In many ways, Ice on the Dune captures the duo’s true spirit. Anyone who has seen their show, or watched one of their videos knows they have more than a flair for the dramatic. Their sophomore album is less interesting than its predecessor, but there’s far more thrill here, fully matching the duo’s bombastic ambitions. Discussing their first album to Prefix Magazine, Steele said “When we were making the record, we felt that the vision needed to be greater than just the music. We wanted to make it flamboyant and colorful and make it real entertainment.” They certainly succeeded then, but Ice on the Dune puts on the better show.

Ice on the Dune will be released Tuesday, June 17th. Also, Empire of the Sun will be performing at Electric Forest on Saturday, June 29th in a show that’s guaranteed to be exceptionally fantastical.

STARTING A WEB SITE? Get $5.99 .COM domains.