Album Review: Dappled Cities - Lake Air

Dappled Cities new album is a bit of a summer party for your ear-drums, and who doesn't love one of those? Lake Air is the fourth album from these sunny sounding Sydney-siders, and opens with the radio-familiar track Run With The Wind. Wave after wave of repetitive electronic scales, and yells and falsettos in the vocals, create a dizzying ocean of fun sounds that you're more than happy to drown in. Once you dry yourself off, the following tracks keep the beat up but let you have a bit of a breather from the opener's intensity.

It's probable that if you're into a bit of fairly harmless indie pop-rock you'll feel real love for Real Love, a track that sits somewhere between a ditty and an anthem about how youth doesn't stand in the way of serious emotions. It's the Puppy Love of a new generation, without the naff. Work In The Mould finds the vocals reaching a Bowie-esque timbre, followed by comforting disco-beats worthy of any Bee Gees track (may they rest in peace, except for the one that's still alive). Lake Air goes on to reaffirm that it's very much summer-worthy with Icecubes, a fantastic track that actually sounds like ice in a refreshing drink! You can almost feel the condensation on your hand! Amazing. Waves holds its own as a beautiful ballad of sadness and comets, the poetic lyrics backed by what sounds like a perfectly dusty bar-room piano.

Not to end on a downer, the final track The Weekend brings the mood right back up to dizzying heights of fun, with soaring synths and a drumbeat that ensures grins all round.