Review: Datarock – Red
Datarock - Red (2009) [Young Aspiring Professionals] // Grade: C+
Remember that Virgin Digital Find The 75 Bands game? For two days in late 2005 (coincidentally the same year Datarock released Datarock), I sat hunched in front of that image, obsessively trying to pinpoint every last clue. I can’t remember if I succeeded (probably not), but I was totally OCD about getting as close as I could.
Listening to Datarock’s latest—a true 80s concept album if ever there was one—feels a lot like looking at that picture. Red is front to back references, an unwavering 80s love letter that touches every aspect of the album’s creation: songwriting, production, engineering, even the pacing. And once you nail a few of the less overt references, it becomes a sort of collect-them-all obsession. Sure, “Molly” is obviously about Molly Ringwald (with the driving guitars from MJ’s “Beat It” to boot) and “True Stories” cops lyrics straight from Talking Heads’ titles. But then there’s “Give It Up” totally ripping its verse from a bite-sized snippet of Gang Of Four’s “At Home He Feels Like A Tourist” and “Do It Your Way” opening like something straight out of Material Issue. The homages are endless.
Of course, Datarock isn’t the first to hit on this ironic 80s reference thing. Yelle’s been channeling Debbie Gibson from the start, Chromeo’s just Chromeo and even Santigold totally (and unapologetically) ripped off a Siouxsie track. But Red usurps them all by obsessing over the minutiae in a way so characteristic of both Datarock and Scandinavian electro as a whole; these songs were produced on gear made only before 1983 and even the singles/filler ratio is in-line with records of the decade.
Unfortunately, none of this makes the album all that amazing. Red may be catchy as hell, but it lacks any serious sonic depth. And wading through all those references sort of kills your ability to hear Datarock’s real strengths: the way they blend synths and guitar into one seamless part, how deftly they integrate seemingly disparate production tactics into a cohesive whole. It’s all there, just like it was there on Datarock— now it’s just buried beneath a concept so all-consuming you forget to pay attention. Great for a few listens, or a slaphappy sing-a-long, but ultimately tiresome after the novelty wears off.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:53 pm
I can’t listen to this album without thinking of that conceptual whatever band Pop Will Eat Itself (PWEI).
This album is horribly all over the place, and is a really tough to listen to as an “album” to me, but I find myself quite liking it on a track by track basis.
“Amarillion” is a glorious song, and it’s a shame it gets lost in the shuffle.
September 4th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Good points, all. I got into it purely on the audio geek level, but it’s only worth a listen or two before the novelty of even THAT wears off. And you’re totally right about it working more on a track by track basis. When you listen in bite-sized does, it’s a lot easier to stop reference-hunting. I’ll keep “Amarillion” and maybe “Do It Your Way” on rotation but will rarely listen to the album as a whole.