Synth-pop creeps Austra earned loads of praise for their first album, 2011's Feel It Break, and now the Katie Stelmanis-led Toronto outfit are back with another full-length. Olympia is out on June 18 through Paper Bag in Canada and Domino internationally, and it's available to stream now on Exclaim.ca.
While Stelmanis previously handled compositional duties mostly by herself, this album is the product of a more collaborative approach. This resulted in a greater range of sounds and influences and, according to a press release, a "bubbly and buoyant" sound. Olympia was self-produced by the band, along with Mike Haliechuk of Fucked Up and vocal producer Damian Taylor (Björk, the Killers). It was mixed by Tom Elmhirst (Adele, Hot Chip, Amy Winehouse).
The album isn't too much of a departure from the first, in that it features arrangements driven by nocturnal synths, danceable beats and Stelmanis' operatic vocals. But the band also branch out both sonically and creatively, such as on the tropical-tinged, marimba-inflected "Fire" and the curious baroque mini-ballad "I Don't Care (I'm a Man)."
Take a listen below and pre-order the album here. You can also see Austra's upcoming tour dates here.
While Stelmanis previously handled compositional duties mostly by herself, this album is the product of a more collaborative approach. This resulted in a greater range of sounds and influences and, according to a press release, a "bubbly and buoyant" sound. Olympia was self-produced by the band, along with Mike Haliechuk of Fucked Up and vocal producer Damian Taylor (Björk, the Killers). It was mixed by Tom Elmhirst (Adele, Hot Chip, Amy Winehouse).
The album isn't too much of a departure from the first, in that it features arrangements driven by nocturnal synths, danceable beats and Stelmanis' operatic vocals. But the band also branch out both sonically and creatively, such as on the tropical-tinged, marimba-inflected "Fire" and the curious baroque mini-ballad "I Don't Care (I'm a Man)."
Take a listen below and pre-order the album here. You can also see Austra's upcoming tour dates here.
