Agency -X

Mission Impossible ( CD)

Delicious Records

www.agency-x.net

www.deliciousrecords.com

"Mission Impossible" is the debut album from Agency-X, a duo comprised of davidmahr and Lars Wallden. I am going to start off by saying that Agency-X album is the best synthpop album around. It is such feel good synthpop that it will put a smile on your face and make you just want to dance all around. The music has perfect beats, lyrics and melodies -- I mean, why can't other bands get it right like Agency-X does? I am not just saying this. I have heard a lot of crap on these so-called synthpop compilations. I love that davidmahr can sing, and that he sounds amazing. His vocals are not high, but more of an alto tone, and he sings with much confidence. Next, the band has lyrics that you can understand, relate to, and that you actually want to listen to. This CD sets a high standard for synthpop.

Let's take "Separate Lives," for instance. Have you ever had friends -- say, in high school -- who say "yeah, we'll be friends forever, let's do things together, let's live by each other, always call, write, and e-mail." Then you grow up a little, still live by each other. You and your friend marry and buy a house nearby, but one day someone moves away, your best friend, and now you are apart -- living separate lives. I also look at it as you are different from your friend and have a different life. I can relate to this because my best friend recently got married, bought a new house and moved. I really enjoyed the lyrics for "Separate Lives," and the music connected everything together so beautifully.

Another song that is important to the album is "Western Sky," which is a passionate tribute to Lars' father. It was touching song, and it gives much hope that someday we will all be with our loved ones in the Western Sky, while we still wonder why that person had to die. "At the End of the Day", is another song that speaks the truth. It is such a great feeling to go home after a long day of work and sit on the sofa with your wife or any loved one. We go through the work day thinking of them, looking at their picture on our desk. We think of their smile that we saw in the morning when we got out of bed. This is what I understood about the song, and it is all so well said. And let's not forget the upbeat synthpop melodies that carry this song to the great level it is. The music puts it all together with it feel-good bounce.

 

"Catch Me", starts off like it is going to be a slower song, but it turns into more upbeat programming that is very catchy. This is a love song with a romantic touch -- "Catch me, I'm falling with you." This is a song about falling in love and knowing that this is THE person for you -- but that it's what you are missing, even if youare a good person who deserves to fall in love and walk hand-in-hand. "Right by Your Side" had the best programming and a much harder edge to it. I like the drum loops on this song. Again, it talks about falling in love, and being right there with the person who is the right one for you. Definitely one of my favorites on the album. I like the vocal echos and the softer "Right by Your Side" vocals at the very end to end the song.

"Happy Together," another song about being happy togther with the one you love. Again, the programming has a harder edge but still very pop like, and the perfect tempo and melodies glide the song to the top. The lryic "you're all I need..." says it all. This is an album about love, and being happy together. And let's not forget about the first single, "Don't Hold Your Breath", which was not not about the perfect mate. This was a perfect mix for the CD.

So when you put it all together, this is a mission to be with someone you love. When you look at the cover of the CD, you see a secret agent, and the song "New World" matches the cover imagery with lyrics about the secret agent man -- but unfortunately it was not one of my favorites. The lyrics were good, programming was good, but I just did not like the hook. "S.O.S. (On the Radio)," the opening track pulls the listener into the CD with the call to find the love, and the rest of the tracks answer the S.0.S. call in my view. It is a cute song, with strong programming. "Middle of Nowhere," the final track on the CD, has a more relaxed feel. I like the strings, and the vocals have this deeper feel. I liked the added water effects as well. "I ask myself - was it worth it?...and I tell myself I think so..." are strong lyrics that stand out. This is a song asking to be found by love. It was a nice end to the album. So, my favorite songs on the CD would be, "Separate Lives," "At the End of the Day," "Right by your Side," "Happy Together," "Catch Me," and "Don't Hold Your Breath."

Mission Impossible is an excellent synthpop album, and one that you should not miss out on. It has meaning, and comes together to tell an excellent story about the search for the meaning of love. Hey, "Don't Forget to Write"!

- Julie Johnson (Grave Concern)

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