When my copy of Northern Kind's second album "Wired" appeared last Saturday, I was impressed before I'd even heard the cd - A shiny hi-tech brown (I'm colour blind actually, it could be green) padded bag awaited complete with the best address label type face I've seen.
A vocorded Sarah fades in announcing the album's title, before launching into the bouncey number "Pop," warning of the perils of todays vacuous pop music culture - let's hope Matt and Sara take heed of their own song when the industry catches up with them. Ah, this is "The Knife" influenced one by the sounds of the sequencer lines. Some seriously strong vocal harmonies from Sarah already.
"Pleasurely That Machine," opens with some very Northern Kind synth stab synths & niffty reverse reverbed vocals. Some machines have all the luck by the sounds of it. Squishy sequencer lines keep this moving and an eerie spacey synth solo completes the outro.
"Electric To Me" is one of my favourite tracks, more melancholic than most of the tracks with some heart felt lyrics interlaced with echoing synths and more lush vocal harmonies - especially when it gets to the "gaze into the fire" section.
"Automatic" starts with some electro sequencers and synth bass. In amongst the underlying social commentary I'm hearing some Kylie-isms coming through, and the "u-u-automicatic" chorus has been stuck in my head all day. Should I be thanking them for that bit??!
"Into The Blue" made an instant impression on me months ago. It's another melancholic track with a dreamy feel, reminding me of cross between Dubstar and Yazoo. Which means it should be like Client - only Client haven't managed to make a song as catchy as this (IMO!). Sorry Client fans.
"Tranquil Eyes" opens with a classic beat box rhythm and vocorded vocals. I think this is the only song I've ever heard that mentions Dimazipan. This track is cleverer than it lets on, as it changes mood from one section to another using different vocal deliveries, effects and swaps synth sounds per section.
"Dirty Youth" is more like a track from their previous album "52 Degress North". If Northern Kind were The Pet Shop Boys (..eh?) they would say in their sleeve notes that they wrote this for Girls Aloud, but were too scared to give it them, so they ended up doing an Erasure-eque version themselves instead.
"Un:Titled" gives us an instrumental break much like those which used appear on Depeche Mode's earlier albums, right down to the "Any Second Now" synth sound at the end, nice hypnotic arpeggios too.
"Goodbye" - I think Sarah's having a bad day in this one, not vocally of course! There's a stern vibe to this song backed by some ever so slightly Depeche Mode "Photographic" sounds...and notes.
"Crash" is a suprisingly upbeat sounding song considering it was inspired by someone who's been tricked into thinking they's just witnessed themselves die in a car crash. It's very catchy all the same, and has some great vocal processing and harmonies on around 3 minutes.
Finally we have "Tears an Tinsel", an extended version of their Christmas track from a year ago. This is one of the best Christmas songs you'll likely to hear - and I really dislike Christmas songs (ok, Proper Chrimbo is amusing).
Any song that says "life's gone down the pan" has to be good, I love the falling portamento synth line in this too.
Overall, this is a really catchy and professional sounding album that will appeal as much to general pop music fans as it will to synth obessives. It's all the more impressive when you consider it was created in a home studio.
Well done Matt and Sarah!
www.northernkind.net
http://www.myspace.com/northernkinduk