Shackles set out the sonic stall nicely for this latest ep from Seattle duo Sugar Addikt, but one song, as great as it is, can only say so much. And if you liked that first single, and why wouldn’t you, then embracing the sonic charms of this 5-track offering is the logical next step.
As you might have guessed, it stays within the synthy soundscapes and eclectic electronica that Shackles hinted at but even having set the boundaries for themselves, they immediately begin to gently push at them.
Change It is an energetic, alternative, dancefloor filler, Safe a mid-paced yet dynamically smart sonic cookie and Rise, the final song of the album, returns to the Vogue-ish deliveries and slow-burning anthemics of the previous single.
Phoenix is an ep that balances nostalgia and invention, playing with some tried and tested tropes but also pushing those ideas to their limits and re-inventing them for a brave new dance world. And after all, isn’t that what everyone who considers themselves worthy of the title “creative” should be doing? (Rhetorical question, by the way.)
