Contact High

Song: Contact High
Artist: Architecture in Helsinki
Album: Moment Bends





It was a little over a year ago I was introduced to Australia's Architecture in Helsinki.  I first heard their single "That Beep" via my friend Rob, which was released back in 2009, and then the excellent "Heart it Races" via an inter-office reel's background music.  It made me get their last album, 2007's "Places Like This" which I liked, though thought "Heart" was the standout by far.

The band is releasing their long waited follow-up "Moment Bends" this month which includes first single "Contact High" as well as "That Beep," previously released as a stand-alone single.  It seems the band has fully embraced the electropop sound, as "Moment Bends" seems to stray away from their more experimental pop leanings.   And that's not a complaint.

Opening track "Desert Island" is a tropical slice of pop that has traces of Matthew Wilder's goofy 1983 hit "Break My Stride," but stands alone as a laid-back, Caribbean-influenced party starter.  "Escapee" ramps up the energy, bringing an indie-pop sensibility to the new found electro bliss.  Aforementioned first single "Contact High" is next which was admittedly a grower... but I quite like it.  Synths mix with the beachy vibe that they established with "Desert Island."  Processed vocals and a persistent beat keep the whole thing afloat.  Fun.

Despite not having a track that is as mind-blowing as "Heart it Races," I think "Moment Bends" is a better album as a whole than "Places Like This,"  It's more consistent, but also more accessible... which could be a debt if you prefer their more out-there experimental leanings, though it is not a radical departure by far.  I recommend this album, a perfect slice of summer... when it's all I'm thinking about!

Enjoy.

Contact High


Desert Island


Escapee