When We Abandoned the Earth by Sweet Electra
(self-released)

There seem to only remain nostalgic reminders to me now of when the term “pop,” or “Top 40” (if you want to get a little anachronistic), was used to describe a sound as opposed to a desire to be sold in Best Buy and on magazine covers. Beyond that, we live in an era where “pop” has to be synonymous with bad music. Although touted as many different things, from indie to rock to electronica, When We Abandoned the Earth stands as an exception in the current: a good pop record.

While there aren’t enough rough edges to the record to make it stand out remarkably as a progressive work, its evenness and consistency carry Sweet Electra’s new offering beyond typical expectations. It’s short, sweet, strong, and postureless; it is what it is without too much concern of fitting in, happily solitary as opposed to angsty reject.

“There’s a reckless innocence in Sweet Electra’s sound that’s charmingly attractive, even to the staunchly anti-pop curmudgeons like me, and perhaps that’s what is so strong about the album: it’s accessible without sacrificing any of its integrity.”

Most of the sounds on the record are either synths or drum machines, but the arrangements are too tight and solid to really be considered “electronic.” Nardiz Cooke’s dreamy, reverb-washed vocals tie everything together perfectly and the album is nothing if not solid. Though fairly distant from genre signposts, When We Abandoned the Earth sounds like a mixture of The Cure’s Head on the Door (and about as varied, emotionally) with The Cranberries’ lighter moments liberally applied and a faint helping of DnB.

There’s a reckless innocence in Sweet Electra’s sound that’s charmingly attractive, even to the staunchly anti-pop curmudgeons like me, and perhaps that’s what is so strong about the album: it’s accessible without sacrificing any of its integrity. While not the usual sound I tend to lean towards, and while not being a mind-blowing piece of art, this is an album that most should take notice of and give a listen. You might be surprised by what you find.


REVIEWED BY NEIL LEVENS
NEIL’S FAVORITE TRACKS: “A Feeling” • “I Am” • “The Killer Silence”