I’m not saying that CSIC sound anything other than modern and part of the musical here-and-now but they do remind me of the past. My own past, that is. Part of it at least. Too young for punk, I grew up listening to “what punks did next” how their attitude, new technologies and broader horizons all mixed to create the post-punk sound, a sort of sonically adventurous, hazy, highbrow, agit-pop for a new age. Vicious Holograms reminds me, in part, of those days.
But it is perfect for today too, not only is music cyclical, the vibe of that era is clearly being referenced by modern bands, but a good idea is just that, and the post-punk sound was certainly one of the best ideas that music ever had.
CSIC has mastered a strange and skilful dexterity, the ability to blend drifting sonics with punchy melodies, lush dreamscapes with solid structures, laid-back flows with busy beats, all of which are on display in this latest release. On the one hand, it sounds like a late-night broadcast from deep space, all drifting sonics, disembodied vocals and chiming galactic sounds, on the other, its driving bass line and dance-infused beats, its network of melodic riffs and the squalling sonic crescendo that it builds to is the sound of the coolest, alternative nightclub getting into its stride.
This will be just as big a hit with the old-school post-punkers of the past as it will with the indie-kids and more discerning alt-popsters of today.
It seems that Crime Spree In Candyland is incapable of putting a foot wrong.
