Architecture In Helsinki

Aussie band Architecture In Helsinki had managed to carve themselves a quirky little niche in the indie pop world, where it was more than acceptable for a glockenspiel or a choir of kids to show up mid-song. But album number four finds the band, for better or worse, moving much closer to the world of conventional pop music, with a strong electro vibe running throughout. The overriding feeling on Moment Bends is a band looking backward. With many hints of the '80s, such as Prince's falsetto, and the retro synths that are so beloved by Cut Copy, the band are striving to make quality pop songs, and when it works, as it does on "Contact High," "Everything's Blue" and a couple other songs, they definitely achieve their goal. But four good songs don't make for a great album, and the ordinariness of the majority of the record is hugely disappointing, considering how fun it used to be to listen to them. Robbed of that playfulness, Architecture in Helsinki now possess one thing they could never be accused of in the past: blandness.