Pacific!

The super pop sound that Swedish duo Pacific! designed on their debut album hits a very sweet spot between the French machine disco of Daft Punk, the schoolboy electro soul of Hot Chip, the cold synth pop of the Human League, and the processed songcraft of 7Ts bands like 10cc and ELO. The end result could have come off like a half-baked sonic experiment, but Daniel H gberg and Bj rn Synneby aren't copyists; they are synthesists who inject plenty of icy soul into their concoctions. Reveries is a stunning display of modern textures, old-school influences, and heartfelt songs that stick in your mind like cotton candy. There's so much to like about the album that it's hard to pin down all the reasons behind why it all works so well. There's the strong California influence running through songs like "Sunset Blvd," a peaceful feeling of sunshine and cool ocean breezes that warms you up and chills you out at the same time. There's the always welcome Daft Punk influence that keeps popping up (especially on "Runway to Nowhere"), but the duo adds to the sound instead of just aping it. There's the strong sense of dynamics and arrangement that the duo displays; Pacific! have a light touch and do a fine job of blending guitars (both "authentic" and fake) and synths throughout. On "Silent Running" they make the discovery that there's something very satisfying about the juxtaposition of country picking and pedal steel swoops with drum machines and synths. The most important factor in the album's success has to be the songs. H gberg and Synneby have written a batch that contains no clunkers they're all hits. "Number One," "Hot Lips," "Disappear," "Poolside Bungalow" all number ones in Heaven. There are a few other bands working this angle of '70s craft meets '80s bubble with a 2000s sheen (Phoenix and Tough Alliance come to mind), but Pacific! might just be the ones who perfected the formula. Though that point may be debatable, you can't deny that Reveries is a brilliant slice of electronic pop.|