Still Corners - "Strange Pleasures"

London electro-pop duo Still Corners released their stunning sophomore album, Strange Pleasures today on Sub Pop.  Together, songwriter and producer Greg Hughes blends his lush soundscapes with the gorgeous plush vocals of Tessa Murray to create an enigmatic synth-driven brand of dream-pop that is both modern and nostalgically tied to the 80’s.

Strange Pleasures opens with the trebly, winding guitars, stair-stepping synths and breathy vocals of “The Trip”.  “Beginning To Blue” follows with synths that stutter and glow fluorescently and are bolstered by a catchy sing-along chorus.  “I Can’t Sleep” is an ominous yet beautiful dirge-like ballad with ethereal synths and vocals.  “All I Know” features a subtly danceable beat with keys that ebb and flow like waves throughout the song.  The excellent first single from the album, “Fireflies” has all of the nostalgic 80’s touchstones like throbbing synth bass, glittering keys and an indelibly sweet vocal.  The second single “Berlin Lovers”, a tale of young love, stands out with an instantly catchy effervescent rhythm and Tessa’s airy vocals and is over long before you want it to be.  Another standout, “Future Age” is brimming with bright melodies, soaring space age synths and a tumbling beat.  As a change of pace, “Going Back To Strange” offers up some cyclical acoustic guitars, soaring synths and layers of vocals for a hazy, drifting dreamscape.  A pulsating synthetic bass line propels “Beatcity” along with its plinking video game sound effects and catchy vocals.  The aptly-titled “Midnight Drive” sounds like Depeche Mode cruising the neon-lit streets of Miami while listening to Duran Duran.  “We Killed The Moonlight” is a slow-burning ballad with haunting vocals and droning keyboards.  Closing out the twelve track album is the title track, “Strange Pleasures” which lives up to its billing with synths that float and soar over the robotic beat.

With their excellent new album, Strange Pleasures, Still Corners has bested their promising debut by a long shot and have delivered an album with tons of replay value.

Download “Berlin Lovers” here: http://assets1.subpop.com/assets/audio/13092.mp3        

For more info: http://www.subpop.com/artists/still_corners