Saturday, October 13, 2012

Plaisance - 2012 - Regatta

Synthpop
[FOR FREE]
<a href="http://plaisance.bandcamp.com"
Impressions
Hey remember when I reviewed Kali Ma and mentioned modern synth music being in love with 80's new wave and electronic music in general with the implication that was a bad thing? Yeah, that was like a week ago, because up pops Plaisance with their LP 'Regatta' with a sound that couldn't be more 80's synthpop if Michael Mann used it as a soundtrack to one of his films. It's also spectacularly excellent, did I forget to open with that? In what appears to be a concept album about yatch racing, 'Regatta' is filled with an electricity right from the get go, with the alarm clock on “Wake up it's race day!” providing you with the much needed jolt to get moving. You might get terribly silly mental images of a time when you or older sibling had huge hair, and/or leg warmers weren't just a thing, they were a way of life, and you know what, go with it! Plaisance don't mind. This is a synthpop album that knowingly wades into the waters of nostalgia to bring the world of yacht racing to life, no pretensions about it. None of these tracks overstay their welcome, always coming under in five minutes, so the keyboards and drum pads never grate the nerves. Of course it's not all keyboards and drumming, “Tailwinds” and “Sprintdrifts of victory” let the lead out with some well placed guitar riffs that will get lighters waving and bodies moving. “Mer d'huile”, as its name would suggest, brings things home with a smooth, light jazz flavour and (as acoustic as you're going to get here) guitar plucking. “Sunset”, like it's early morning counterpart is a nice ambient/field recording to wrap the whole thing up. I've never been yachting, but I will sail with Plaisance any time they want, anywhere they want. On this cold, grey September afternoon, the sun is shining and the water is fine, and we have Plaisance's 'Regatta' to thank for that.

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