Album Review: Still Flyin' - On A Bedroom Wall

Shimmying on the edge of '80s dance and contemporary pop is On A Bedroom Wall, the second album from San Francisco group Still Flyin'. Ever since the release of their debut LP, Never Gonna Touch The Ground, in 2009, the band, which at any given point can include up to 15 members, have been busy touring the world. Whether this pop-odyssey spawned their new sound or perhaps a more polished recording experience, one thing's for sure – this album is one luscious, synth-loving knockout that celebrates all that was good about the '80s.

Each song is doused in buoyant beats, hazy synth and catchy key riffs, making it somewhat hard to find the apex amid the ten-track collection. The vocals aren't at the forefront, but rather slide in and around the instrumental colouring. Opener, Elsie Dormer, makes a grand entrance with a glittery lead line and breezy harmonies, much like Camouflage Detection. Cleat Talking is the most stripped-back track with earthy rhythms channelling Architecture In Helsinki a la That Beep.

While the record may mark the next wave of indie-pop, there is, as I've mentioned, an undeniable vapour of '80s dance that coats the entire LP. Big Trouble In Little Alabama is similar to the '84 hit Tenderness by General Public, while lead singer Sean Rawls' vocal lilt channels Talking Heads in Spirits. Surrender To Me is heavy on the synth, as is Travelin' Man, the first single off the album. The track also provides a rare glimpse into Rawl and his hunger to achieve with the lyrics, “This waiting in silence, we've lost our springtime/This standing on one leg, feels like a lifetime.” Although other telling one-liners are buried within, the album is more a celebration of feel-good, innocuous fun that lovers of dreamy-pop will definitely dig.