CD review - Deluka, You Are The Night (2010)

Deluka's self-titled EP (my review) was just an appetizer for the upcoming full length CD, You Are The Night, which is due out in October (download release is September 14). The five songs on the EP hit a tight mesh of new wave music and club-centric pop sensibility. The new CD delivers on that taste with consistently catchy songs that continue Deluka's exploration of an updated retro sound. Two strong songs from the EP slide into place on the album (OMFG and Cascade), but the rest are new. The tempos stay a little faster, which stresses the poppier elements of their sound.

Deluka - "Nevada" on PopMatters

The new single, Nevada, is a great sign of what the album offers. It's a fast rocker, sounding like the Killers with a Debbie Harry sound on the vocals. This gem shows off Deluka's writing skills -- the various sections of the song transition through a great dynamic range, making the song feel longer than it really is. The rock guitar combines with an underlying disco synth to build a perfect tension.

You Are The Night flows smoothly from highlight to highlight. The modern pop of Come Back To Me follows Nevada to show off Innocenti's expressive sultry voice. Mean Streak nails the dance club groove with a tight electronic sound. The driving rock of Morning Comes harnesses a disco beat to some very interesting guitar work.

The sparse start to Waves doesn't hint at its epic nature. It's moody and threatened:

You know what it means if you don't deliver
Baby, you're the gun and I'm your trigger

The waves crash into a funky post-punk jam. The melody echoes the first verse, but the feel is more frenetic and edgy. The counterpoint between the guitars marks the boundaries of the cage. The bridge collects eddies of sound before the final fade.

Deluka's You Are The Night is a supreme followup on their EP. Their modern pop reinvention of old school new wave is no pastiche gimmick. Keep an ear open; it'll be out soon. Let's move beyond the Kir Royale. We'll keep the Chambord, but go for a Champagne Supernova as our matching beverage.