In the song "Crossfade," GusGus ask, "Do you remember when we started to crossfade?" The people-as-DJ-trick metaphor invokes the emotionless connections made on a dance floor at 1 a.m., which also encapsulates the album as a whole. Mexico is not an LP full of nuance or innovation, but some palatable beats and synth lines, perfectly good for late night revelries.
It's easy to imagine this album lighting up dance floors in the band's native Iceland, where Euro-sleaze techno, Scandinavian glam pop and North American indie rock mix together like the ocean currents circling the island. When held up against the standards of those genres alone, the album comes off a bit thin, as if GusGus has ignored the last ten years of musical evolution. The album's best moments come when the band relaxes a little, as on "God Application," which rides forward on a wavy chord progression as if propelled by a light breeze. Title track "Mexico" also shows that GusGus still know how to push their synths into new sonic territory.
Mexico is a not a life-changing listen, or even a particularly memorable one, but it does offer a good soundtrack for the late nights that you won't remember. Just as some albums come with a parental advisory, this one should come with a "play after midnight and several drinks" sticker.
(Kompakt)It's easy to imagine this album lighting up dance floors in the band's native Iceland, where Euro-sleaze techno, Scandinavian glam pop and North American indie rock mix together like the ocean currents circling the island. When held up against the standards of those genres alone, the album comes off a bit thin, as if GusGus has ignored the last ten years of musical evolution. The album's best moments come when the band relaxes a little, as on "God Application," which rides forward on a wavy chord progression as if propelled by a light breeze. Title track "Mexico" also shows that GusGus still know how to push their synths into new sonic territory.
Mexico is a not a life-changing listen, or even a particularly memorable one, but it does offer a good soundtrack for the late nights that you won't remember. Just as some albums come with a parental advisory, this one should come with a "play after midnight and several drinks" sticker.
