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Title: A Soft Exchange
Artist: Elegant Machinery
Genre: Synth Pop
Release Date: 28th November 2008
Label: Out of Line



Album Review

First you get one single (Feel the Silence), then another one (Move) to shorten the waiting time, but in fact they made it all the more harder to wait for the first new ELEGANT MACHINERY album in 12 years and now it’s there and is called ‘A Soft Exchange’.

The new disc starts with ‘With Grace’ in the typical analogue synth sequences and melodies, carried by the warm voice of Robert Enforsen. It’s as if they just picked up, where they left off. Still the sound is rooted in the 80s, only that everything’s sounding fresher. ‘Move’ still paints a smile into my face and is more than just an invitation to enter the dance floor, actually it’s an order you can’t resist. To the next track, guided by softer beats and wonderful melancholic layers it’s most likely that you get carried away by its atmosphere. The chorus demands you to sing along with it and that won’t be a problem after you’ve heard the song once or twice. The title track ‘A Soft Exchange’ transports a feeling of contentedness and strength that’s able to take all the bad feelings away in no time. It’s like Robert sings “I feel so strong…”

After the well-known ‘Feel the Silence’ comes a short instrumental piece that’s pleasing with many analogue sound gadgets and a robot spells every single letter of the band name throughout the track. Melancholy, lots of melancholy is in the air during ‘Bleeding Words’. Besides the omnipresent dance beat, the band unleashes warm showers of synth layers and in combination with the vocals the song considerably increases its intensity! You might have wondered why there’s no ballad so far; don’t worry here it comes with ‘Hold on’. On a fundament of minimalist beats and bleeps, it’s Robert’s impressing chant that’s compelling the most. The album closer ‘Is this the Way’ only seems to be a balladry tune in the beginning. Close to the first chorus it speeds reveals itself as dance floor filler.

If you’ve read this little review in it’s entirely I don’t need to tell you anymore what I’m thinking about this record. Great comeback! Hope it won’t take you guys another decade to come up with the next one.


Tracklist

01. With Grace 3:29
02. Move – 3:54
03. Do You Know – 4:12
04. A Soft Exchange – 3:39
05. Feel The Silence – 3:54
06. Path Of Angle (Instrumental) – 2:29
07. Bleeding Words – 3:33
08. Hold On – 3:50
09. Firm – 3:55
10. Is This The Way – 3:27


Line-up

Robert Enforsen - Vocals
Richard Jomshof - Synths
Leslie Bayne - Synths, Drums
Johan Malmgren - Synths


Website

http://www.elegantmachinery.se/ / http://www.myspace.com/elegantmachinery


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9 / 10

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