The first words we hear Catherine McCandless sing on Young Galaxy's new album Falsework are, "Settle in here." Cutting through the propulsive blips of the synthesized intro, she slides in with ease and subtle confidence, boasting a sureness we've only seen surface in recent years from the band. This is the sound of a group who have clearly found their niche and are comfortably settled in, ready to more fully explore its possibilities.
Following the release of 2013's Polaris Music Prize-shortlisted album Ultramarine, Young Galaxy have effectively cut off any ties to their past as a shoegazing indie rock act. Gone are the reverberating guitars, and in its place is a set of distinct electronics, ushering the band's established pop melodies into a glossy new territory. Here, songs like the hiccupping beats of "The Night Wants Us To Be Free" and the galvanic push-and-pull of "Body" are sinuous and fluid; it flows into your ears and dances into every corner of your body. Tracks also traverse moods, infusing emotion into the album's quieter moments, like the swelling "We're No Good."
Falsework boasts some of the best dance music of the year, thanks to McCandless' exact yet poignant vocal delivery (her best performances since taking over on vocals from the band's cofounder Steve Ramsay), the band's proficiency at bending and layering synths and the sonic cohesion provided by long-time collaborator/producer Dan Lissvik. Together, Young Galaxy have become a well-oiled machine, settlers and soon-to-be luminaries of the dance floor.
(Paper Bag)Following the release of 2013's Polaris Music Prize-shortlisted album Ultramarine, Young Galaxy have effectively cut off any ties to their past as a shoegazing indie rock act. Gone are the reverberating guitars, and in its place is a set of distinct electronics, ushering the band's established pop melodies into a glossy new territory. Here, songs like the hiccupping beats of "The Night Wants Us To Be Free" and the galvanic push-and-pull of "Body" are sinuous and fluid; it flows into your ears and dances into every corner of your body. Tracks also traverse moods, infusing emotion into the album's quieter moments, like the swelling "We're No Good."
Falsework boasts some of the best dance music of the year, thanks to McCandless' exact yet poignant vocal delivery (her best performances since taking over on vocals from the band's cofounder Steve Ramsay), the band's proficiency at bending and layering synths and the sonic cohesion provided by long-time collaborator/producer Dan Lissvik. Together, Young Galaxy have become a well-oiled machine, settlers and soon-to-be luminaries of the dance floor.
