Empire of the Sun – Ice on the Dune (2013) (Music Review)

Empire of the Sun – Ice on the Dune (2013) https://us.empireofthesunstore.com/

Empire of the Sun is an Australian electronic music duo formed in 2007 and made up of Luke Steele, from alternative rock band The Sleepy Jackson, and Nick Littlemore, from electronic dance band Pnau.

They play Electropop, Synth-Pop, Alternative Dance, Dance-Rock, Electro-Rock and New Wave, basically!

The duo have won a number of Australian music awards, with Walking on a Dream (a hit from their debut album) receiving 11 nominations at the 2009 ARIA Music Awards and winning seven, including Album of the Year.

On vinyl, each album has its own special colour!
The first is young, the second is between light and dark blue, the third is green and the fourth (and last to date) is a shade of blue-grey.

When I listened to this album, I sounded like the annoyed listener who had loved the first one and who, as a result, was expecting too much from this second record. So I had all the reactions like ‘Well… it’s not bad… but… yeah… it’s not as good as the first one…’. But the reality is that this second album is also a pure success.

However, I’m not going to give it full marks for the almost insignificant little details. For example: the intro (first track), which is brilliant and grandiose, isn’t necessarily at the right volume. In fact, it’s almost too low and you tend to turn the volume up… which means that you’re assaulted by the rest, which is at full power. There are two tracks that aren’t quite as good, but that’s not too bad because they’re at the end. There are some tracks that you’re more likely to listen to in loops than others. It’s all very normal.

The tracks flow very well. The whole record is perfect for creating a pleasant, happy, danceable atmosphere. In fact, you don’t even need to change discs on the dance floor until maybe the last two. Unless you’re going slow, of course.
No, I’ve just listened again: it’s only the last track that’s really slow! Maybe 7, too, but it’s so soaring that it won’t stop you from staying on the dance floor.

Personally, I’ve listened to this album a lot in the car. It makes for a pleasant and dreamy journey. In my living room, it relaxes me, disconnects me from all the negativity and keeps me travelling.

Empire of the Sun is a band that pleases, but also pleases itself. Joy, love, open-mindedness and respect are all part of the mix. For those who have none of these things, this band will just seem kitsch, old-fashioned, ridiculous, effeminate, stuck in the 80s. For the rest of us, it’s a real treat!

Like all the best bands, they also have instrumentals. Here, it’s No. 8 ‘Old Flavours’ that does the trick. Ice on the Dune has absolutely nothing icy about it. On the contrary, it warms the heart and lifts the spirits.

I found these three reviews interesting:

1) “Frozen”

“The songs are earworms, the beat shakes and the vocals are high. Empire of the Sun has the inimitable groove of the 80s combined with a contemporary electro sound. As its title suggests, Ice on the Dune is a little colder than its predecessor Walking on a Dream. Even so, it’s a very pleasant record, perfect for warm summer evenings! This record is well worth buying.”

2) “It’s the best!”

“I can only agree with my predecessor. These two have delivered an absolutely brilliant album. Each song is more beautiful than the next. It’s all about summer, partying and having a good time. This album is even better than the first one from 2008.”

3) “The album of summer 2013!”

“Oh, how refreshing, the CD of the year, so positive and good-humoured, beautiful new melodies and yet catchy rhythms, the ear and soul rejoice. It’s a good thing that Empire of the Sun have given themselves enough time to come up with something more accomplished after their 2009 flagship album.”

To each his own 😉

My Rating