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us firstcontact
Artist: Us
Title: First Contact
Genre: Electro Pop / Synth Pop
Release Date: 17th May 2019
Label: HoW Music Group


Album Review

The Scottish-Swedish duo US, based in Stockholm released their debut album ‘First Contact’ in May 2019. An Electro Pop album from out of space, atmospheric, light, complex and remarkable. US are Andrew Montgomery who is also known as singer of the Britpop influenced band GENEVA that is giving concerts after a while again next February in the UK and Leo Josefsson, also known as lead vocalist from the Synth Pop & Pop Noir combo LOWE. With their new project US Leo and Andrew go new paths and explore new Synth Pop worlds.

‘First Contact’ takes us on a journey to new spheres, out of this world, the universe is falling into our hands when Andrew is singing and Leo creating all these electrifying sound worlds. ‘Mute’ is a calm intro, growing constantly - minimalistic soundscapes at the beginning and the impressive, remarkable vocals make the first song already stand out in the world of fast up-tempo songs, hypnotizing with the intense vocal and synth composition. ‘Voyager’ serves more tempo, more beats, like a spiral of extra-terrestrial soundscapes it is bringing the molecules into vibrations. ‘The Stars That Are Across The Sky’ sounds more open, growing, extremely beautiful and positive.

‘Technicolor’ is probably the song with the strongest guarantee to keep strolling through your mind hours later - very catchy and groovy. A slower, but probably one of my favourites as it is very intense and sensual, and highly vibrating is ‘Never Get Over’. There is a dramatic touch in the song that crawls under the skin and makes it impossible not to feel it. ‘In Denial’ is the song that immediately reactivated in me some COLDPLAY associations, that cheerful synth melody is so uplifting, you cannot deny to dance across your living room when you listen to this one, I promise.

‘Flow My Tears’ sounds cosmic, somehow classic and the vocals are just so great, it’s a pleasure to listen to them. ‘As A Child’ is very US specific to me, Andrew is once more creating an unbelievable colour to the song with his vocals, the Synth Pop spheres that open up to the listener hide so many more details than you can catch after the first one-two runs, I am glad I had the chance to listen many more times to the album by now and its fragile, hidden, beautiful details. Some epic touch in here as well.

‘Till The Dying Of The Light’ is dreamy, light, but feels very compact at the same time. A spherical song that takes the listener to a freeing journey into the universe of music, thoughts and dreams. ‘My Heart’s Desire’ feels like the continuation of the previous track. Cautious and reserved at the beginning, slowly growing and finally exploding into the music universe and all engaging. The electronica details in ‘The Healer’ are captivating and exciting to dive in. A slow, melodic, dramatically presented song to close the debut, ‘First Contact’ is the musical heaven you might have been looking for if you think that Electronic music is much more than party songs and hard basses (nothing wrong with it, though). The bonus track ‘Everything Is Leading Up To This’ feels like a beautiful, light, strong song to close the first chapter and make very curious for the next one.

Leo and Andrew create here with their debut something quite special. An album to fully breathe in, instead of listening it on a rush in between. ‘First Contact’ is balancing between cheerful, bright and hopeful melodies and that subliminally oppressive, melancholic to depressive feeling. The transitions are sometimes as fragile as the songs themselves. You better take your time to dive in fully into the US universe and put the album on repeat. You won’t regret. ‘First contact’ has been digitally available on all the platforms you might know, however it will be available on CD from mid-January 2020, pre-orders are open now via Bandcamp.


Tracklist

01. Mute
02. Voyager
03. The Stars That Arc Across The Sky
04. Technicolor
05. Never Get Over
06. In Denial
07. Flow My Tears
08. As A Child
09. Till The Dying Of The Light
10. My Heart’s Desire
11. The Healer
12. Everything Is Leading Up To This (bonus track)


Line-up

Andrew Montgomery
Leo Josefsson


Website

https://www.facebook.com/usmusicspace / http://www.usmusicspace.com / https://usmusicspace.bandcamp.com


Cover Picture

us firstcontact


Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 10
Total: 9.5 / 10




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