 Space
March
Self-titled CD
Hark
Genres: synth-pop, electronic pop
Feb 23 - 29 2004 |
Space March is the synth-pop project of musician Craig
Simmons, who is very gifted at crafting endlessly listenable,
hook-filled ballads using only his voice and his doubtlessly complex
set-up of electronic sound-makers and acoustic instruments.
While the modern synth/electronic-pop scene is a relatively
underground phenomenon nowadays, it is of very high quality - given a bit
more attention, I could see a band like Space March really
finding a large audience. This type of hook-laden, obsessively
melodic pop would really fly well with indie fans.
The greatness of this album is best exemplified by "King of
Nothing," a beautiful pop tune filled with glistening synths and
an electronic-orchestral background. This is how pop music
should sound. But it doesn't stop there. The Terminator-like
melodies of "Conspiracy" are a revelation - as a song, it
sounds like it belongs as the theme song to an eighties movie of some
sort. Its Simple Minds-esque approach is sure to bring a
smile to anyone's face.
What makes this album so great is the absence of any bad
parts. Every single tune on this disc is worthy of multiple
listens, so there isn't anything you have to skip over. Even the
less memorable tunes like "Dorian Gray" and "Going
Nowhere" stand up well over time, never becoming anything near
boring.
It is rare that I dole out scores in the nineties, but this album
has earned that honour perfectly. I wasn't expecting to like Space
March at all, but after two listens I couldn't help myself.
If you thought synth-pop was over, guess again.
90%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by the
band, released 2003] |
