Zonoscope, Cut Copy's third studio album, is in many retrospects the ideal follow-up to the pop masterpiece that was In Ghost Colours. While retaining their sound, Cut Copy have kept it fresh by using more varied song structures and changing the album flow. Where In Ghost Colours flowed smoothly with short-medium length summer jams, Zonoscope introduces more lengthy tunes with crescendos and big climaxes. The vibe, however, remains the same.
'Need You Now' was a surprising opener to me, mainly due to lead singer Dan Whitford's deeper vocals. This varied pitch combined with heavier synths on songs such as 'Need You Now' and 'Blink and You'll Miss A Revolution' introduces a darker sound to the music, showcasing the band's post-punk influences more distinctively. 'Take Me Over' and 'Pharoahs & Pyramids', the two most IGC-like tracks on the album, maintain the classic Cut Copy feel to add nice variation and contrast. And the song that got people's expectations spinning, the 15-minute album closer 'Sun God', doesn't disappoint. It starts off with a thumping bass and a talking heads-like vibe, before going somewhere else altogether ("epic space disco" seems to be a popular term).
While Zonoscope is missing that little bit of atmospheric magic that In Ghost Colours had, it has its own feeling of vastness that makes it a worthwhile listen. It's definitely more of an homage to post-punk and the darker side of new wave as opposed to the happy pop feel of IGC. Something I feel I should add, it seems to be a grower. I enjoyed it much more on the second listen than on the first.
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