Hammock instead dancefloor

I am quite honest, when I confess that I Metronomy during the oodles of hyped indie rock-pop bands of the last year from the United Kingdom and elsewhere ago are gone anyway at backside. The mainstream debut 'Nights Out' had indeed so its 2.3 hit singles and funny music videos, but otherwise convinced me that music is not really, but looked more like a collection of well-intentioned sketches and sound designs that not really can be found to an album wanted. Dispensable and forget again soon in my opinion. I thought. And the signs were somehow too. Three years have passed since the album, in our fast-paced quite a small eternity. And Metronomy have changed. Grown from trio to quartet, Gabriel Stebbing is gone, two are new. The sting caused by black skin to a female sex and secondly before visually out of the White-Male nerds constellation. But this also affects the sound of Metronomy?

So exactly which of course can not be absolutely determined to do exactly the new people, but even on the first listen of 'The English Riviera' is clear, that the clocks tick differently because something when as yet in 'Nights Out'. Something is different, although still sounds familiar, but at the same time somehow new. So new and different that even I have my fun with this band at a time. So what happened? Primary a pace throttling paired with musical Matured awareness. Unlike 'Nights Out' sound Metronomy namely 2011 set and settled, and not quite as jittery, exaggerated, as on its predecessor. Except for the beach impressions intros missing also instrumental experimental fields. And the presence of synthesizers have been scaled back. Bass and guitar can be heard this time much clearer and more present and play extremely smooth, very relaxed and almost a bit melancholy on. The latter is probably the most surprising development of the new album: Metronomy take it easy, serve relaxed pop songs with a healthy dose of melancholy, but, perhaps by blowing by the deliberately understated instrumentation, a certain relaxation. More like a secluded evening on the beach. To this extent the title of the award plate makes perfect sense yes. Band Chief Joseph Mount sounding too much emotional and direct, than on the debut, adjusted his voice less. Falsetto vocals may in tracks like 'Trouble' of course not missing, but he considers himself significantly compared to its predecessor back. And of course there are not only ballads, but tracks like 'The Look', 'Corinne' or 'The Bay' are pretty groovy pop songs. Maximum catchy and somehow danceable. However, one can just as well in this hammock relax with a Schirmchendrink. One can, if one is on Genre-containment, then also like to call time-Lounge Pop. A bit 60s Beach Boys sound even blowing even with such a small summer breeze. But the reduction to simple structures and the most necessary instrumentation preserves Metronomy usually about to sink into the morass Kitsch. The sound seems clear, direct and just the guitars come without a lot of comparatively layers or effects.

What do you call this now, then? Beach Pop? Perhaps some sort of The XX for balmy summer days? Great art in small pop songs? Maybe a little of everything. A nearly perfect pop formula for summer 2011, with hits such as 'The Look', 'The Bay' or 'Some Written' can actually do go wrong. And sure, the indie purists will argue again that they had recognized this 3.4 years ago, but even the have to admit that today things work differently and sounds in the house Metronomy. And even convinced me. Fans of the debut will possibly get excited about the calmer tone, but do not have them. All other fans of good pop music is 'The English Riviera' anyway warmly recommended. Even without hammock in the household.