Empire State Human- Cycles

Irish electro-pop band Empire State Human have hit the mark with their 2005 release “Cycles”. This marks the 5th album for these synthpop vets. (current line-up: Aidan Casserly , Lar Kiernan, Seán Barron & Warren Kiernan). The album’ opening track “Easy Colour” begins with splendid melodies blended perfectly with superb vocals. As I listen to tracks “Stars shine Bright” and the wit-filled “The Witch”, it becomes clearer that this album is a great find for any listener who longs for great synthpop. Another eye-opening track was the funk-filled song “HI-FI” that has a very catchy base-line which is worked to perfection into the melody that is offered up with smooth vocals. Nestled in the middle of the album is a track entitled “This is How You Disappear” which was wrote to reflect on the memory of fallen synthpop heroes Mark Reynolds of RedFlag and Billy Mckenzie of The Associates. This song pulls at your heart and tugs at your mind. The album closes with “They Live by Night” , a very laid-back melodic track which is pleasing to the ears as it offers a certain atmosphere. Overall every track offers some level of enjoyment, making this album very cool from start to finish. ESH has officially claimed their spot as one of the big names of their respective genre well before this album but, this offering does nothing to tarnish their place among the best in electropop..