Architecture in Helsinki's debut, Fingers Crossed, introduces their very appealing collage of electronic and indie pop. While there are a lot of groups out there mixing these styles, this Australian octet's music stands out, and not just because they use tap dancing as an instrument. Even though the band uses a wide array of sounds, ranging from bass recorder to a host of analog synths and samplers, Architecture in Helsinki have an admirably restrained hand with their sonic arsenal. Most of the album trades in charming pop miniatures like "Souvenirs," "Imaginary Ordinary," and "To and Fro," all of which are so quietly breezy that it would be easy to tune them out on the first few listens. That would be a mistake, however, as there is a lot to explore within the group's songs: "Scissor Paper Rock" sounds like a Burt Bacharach song from the future; "Spring 2008" has bouncy, almost Japanese-sounding percussion and a melody to match, along with a song title that's far enough away to still seem futuristic. Fingers Crossed's most striking song is "Owls Go," which makes the most of the band's playful minimalism and production wizardry. The track zips between lots of musical elements -- including samples, choral vocals, and children singing -- like a game of sonic Ping-Pong. "Kindling" is another standout that, with its big brassy choruses, is the closest the group comes to rocking out. "Like a Call" manages to be one of the album's quietest and catchiest songs at the same time, and "Vanishing" ends the album with one of its loveliest and most expansive songs. While it's not a perfect album -- occasionally the whispery vocals become cutesy instead of cute -- Fingers Crossed is a charming debut that should please anyone who likes creative indie pop.
First post, and I've never reviewed anything without being boring! Damn creativity...it is already so undercreative to point your lack of creativity...Anyway...I've been listening to this song and I love it! I love this band! I hope those aussies get to Europe soon...this song starts with a really emotional and melancholical verse, not sad though...and than it gets to the chorus! I love the cho...
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This is one of those feel-good albums, but not the faux-feel-good “wind beneath my wings” kind of stuff – this music just feels good and it makes me happy whenever I listen to it. “The owls go” and “Spring 2008” make me crack up if they come on while I’m walking around. It’s a great break from albums that are big and insane, which is what I end up listening to all the time. If th
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Scissor Paper RockArchitecture in Helsinki7/15/06 1:41 AMBack when I cared about the image projected by the kind of music I listened to, I would have dismissed this tune as pretentious arthouse indie posturing. I’m not saying it isn’t, but I don’t care: I think it’s an astoundingly cute song, and the vintage synthesizer counterpoint (which almost fooled me into thinking it was a theremin)
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First post, and I've never reviewed anything without being boring! Damn creativity...it is already so undercreative to point your lack of creativity...Anyway...I've been listening to this song and I love it! I love this band! I hope those aussies get to Europe soon...this song starts with a really emotional and melancholical verse, not sad though...and than it gets to the chorus! I love the cho...
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what makes me crazy about this song is that one good part (1:45) that they repeated four times, when it's nearly the end of the track.another thing is the whispery, lazy singing, which is my weakness.
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This is one of those feel-good albums, but not the faux-feel-good “wind beneath my wings” kind of stuff – this music just feels good and it makes me happy whenever I listen to it. “The owls go” and “Spring 2008” make me crack up if they come on while I’m walking around. It’s a great break from albums that are big and insane, which is what I end up listening to all the time. If th
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 One Heavy February |
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| 2 Souvenirs |
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| 3 Imaginary Ordinary |
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| 4 Scissor Paper Rock |
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| 5 To and Fro |
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| 6 Spring 2008 |
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| 7 The Owls Go |
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| 8 Fumble |
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| 9 Kindling |
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| 10 It's Almost a Trap |
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| 11 Like a Call |
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| 12 Where You've Been Hiding |
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| 13 City Calm Down |
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| 14 Vanishing |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Fingers Crossed")
