Seven years is a long time to be away. Considering this is Imperial Teen’s first record in that amount of time and only their sixth disc puts a lot of pressure on it to be amazing.
Well, wouldn’t you know it? This is one of the best records of the year.
Opening track “I Think That’s Everything” is lively, electronic-based, and outstanding. Roddy Bottum’s vocals sound really great and help give the song an almost ethereal feel that I was really looking for without even realizing it. “Parade” follows a similar route and is another just surprising, outstanding track.
Taking a detour from the alt rock from the past, the band follows a bit more of an electro rock future that works in their favor exceptionally well. “Don’t Wanna Let You Go” is a perfect example. “Walkaway” just might be one of my top songs this year; the vocal dynamics between the guys and girls is as pristine as it was on the first record back in ’96 and it’s only gotten better. This one is just a perfect pop song.
Though it is the shortest song on this too-short album, “Somebody Like Me” just may be one of the best song the band has ever created. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, haunting, and serene. A song like this is something any music fan could enjoy.
“Ha” sounds like really cool New Wave with some outstanding harmonies. The album’s closing title track wraps everything up in a crisp, fresh bow. It’s a slow crawl of a track that you really don’t want to end; it’s just that great. It’s nice to see that there are still musicians who only get better in their performance and songwriting capabilities as the years go by. Roddy, Will Schwartz, Jone Stebbins, and Lynn Truell have clearly made one of the most dynamic and excitingly beautiful records of the ye