- Music
- 05 Jun 13
No sophomore slump for SOSB
Its been three years since the release of their eponymous debut. Now Sounds of System Breakdown are back with an an album that sees the band mature into a sound thats completely there own.
With the emergence of their debut LP comparisons came thick and fast with acts such as LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip. The eagerly anticipated Nomad sees the band deliver on the promise they showed with their Colors EP and grow to produce a noise more local and unique.
The bands mix of guitars and dance enthused synthesizer creates a sound that could translate into an amazing live show. 'Neon Contrails' is the sort of festival crowd pleasing song that could see the band move from Dublin clubs to summer stages.
Despite being a solid piece of work Nomad does drift at times into the mundane. Tracks like 'Pony' and 'Silverfish' slow the album down with the latter sounding more like hipster elevator music than a Sounds of System Breakdown song.
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With 'Skin' the band really come into there own. A fantastic indie guitar progression backs the song before being joined by an addictive trance beat. In a similar vein 'Mayfly' is the sort of song that could propel SOSB into the big time. The song has that Cast of Cheers feel but driven that bit more by synthesizers and a party ethos.
Obviously SOSB haven't heard the claims of naysayers that the conventional idea of an album is dead. Nomad is no collection of singles. This is one body of music knitted together carefully with a lot of thought to create the sort of record you can listen to from start to finish. This is music you can dance to.
Key Track: 'Skin'