MP3 REVIEW: CCERULEANN s/t (HUG Records)

CCERULEANN s/t (HUG Records)

                Something that people may not know (or simply may not care to know) about me is that I am an artist in the sense that I paint.   You think this would mean that I could tell you all of these obscure colors and where they fit in between the common names of red and orange, but the fact is I don’t know that much about colors because I judge them based on sight not on words. 

                So when I downloaded this six song release from the band called CCERULEANN I had no idea what I was getting into exactly.   When I saw their name I thought it was an actual person’s name as the end indicates with “Leann”, though I couldn’t understand the beginning part of it.   In any event, “cerulean” also makes an appearance in the title of the first song, “Cerulean Skies”, so naturally I had to look this word up.   Turns out that it’s a color and it’s a shade of blue, not too far from sky blue, which then makes sense given the song title.   Why the band included the extra “c” and “n” in their name is not something I can tell you, but hey, maybe one day I’ll interview them and ask that very question (Though it would probably just be answered with it “Why not?” or “Does it really matter?”)

                To state that these songs are simply electronica would be not only unfair to the band but it would also be unfair to you, the reader.   Yes, they have that sound where you think of electronica with all of the beats and noises going on (Drum machine loops, synth, etc.) but there are other elements at play here as well.  

                A song like “Future Wind” has a distinct pop sound to it that reminds me of why exactly I fell in love with Kimbra the first time I heard her album “Vows”.     Then as we transition into “It’s Whenever”, the pace slows down and becomes much closer to new wave (i.e. something you’d expect to see out of the later ‘80’s/early ‘90’s)

                Regardless of what you want to call this (I’d combine “new wave” and “electronica” to form “newtronica” if that tag doesn’t already exist, but that’s just me) it’s a lot of fun to listen to in a dance sort of way where it’s not overly poppy but definitely not angry or boring either.