Review Summary: This IS the one.
With
Apocalypso Australia natives The Presets have surpassed their previous work,
Beams, by a mile and crafted one of the best [insert genre tag here] albums in existence. From the emotional highs of “This Boys In Love” to the sensual yet quirky “Talk Like That”
Apocalypso tugs at the listeners body and mind; singing along and dancing become inevitable.
The album opens with “Kicking and Screaming” and forgoes the kicking bit and moves right into screaming territory. As lead singer Julian Hamilton belts out
when I was young I collected my hero's/when I was young I was a star among zero's/but then I grew up... the brilliance of the duo begins to shine. Each track stands on it's own lyrically, and while some may argue that some lines are just rhyming nonsense it'd be an oversight to dismiss the any as just soulless filler. Kim Moyes is the reason the audience will be moving; being responsible for the groups synth lines and drums a lot of the charm garnered on
Beams rides on his shoulders, and here he's stepped his game up ten-fold.
Apocalypso flows from one peak to another seamlessly, the electronic wahs of “My People” flow into the rather solemn beginning of “A New Sky” perfectly with no track overstaying it's welcome.
Beams had filler, and sadly it divided many potential fans on the albums worth. Since then the band has matured, and even the instrumental track “Aeons” doesn't seem out of place. There's a little something here for everyone, many will be drawn to the meaningful yet dream-fully catchy pop of “This Boys In Love” while others may find the older sound of “Yippiyo-ay” or the slow, gorgeous vocal build up of “If I Know You” to be to their liking.
Sooner than the audience would have imagined
Apocalypso comes to an end, and it's a sad parting when the last synth lines of closer “Anywhere” fade into silence. The Presets have crafted an album that retains their signature sound and expands on it; Moyes expands the duo's electronic sound into something well worthy of praise while Hamilton is bolder, crafting lines that compliment rather than try to improve on past hits such as “Are You The One.” The band polishes the odd wonder than garnered them such success with their debut rather than trying to copy it, and
Apocalypso shows a band secure in themselves and their sound. Perfect for the dancefloor or the living room, this is one album that won't just won't let go.
