In Case We Die [Digipak] - Architecture In Helsinki

...the charming "Fingers Crossed", Architecture In Helsinki propelled themselves into the music industry with all the enthusiasm of a bunch of "overexcited preschoolers", as I described them (check out me reviewz!!). Their music was inspired by bands like The Beach Boys, taking the breezy lite-rock music that Brian's boys used to put out and twisting it by making the whole thing sound like it had been recorded by a school choir, ...
...to boys.

In Case We Die is, to all extents and purposes, a school play put on record. This is nowhere more obvious than in the opening track, "Neverevereverdid" (see how childish they are? fantastic). The track begins slowly with a toll bell, leading into some odd cod-opera from Kellie, who wails impressively. A weird screechy noise like you hear in b-movies when an alien spaceships around starts up, and then a brass section, ... more

For their first album, the charming "Fingers Crossed", Architecture In Helsinki propelled themselves into the music industry with all the enthusiasm of a bunch of "overexcited preschoolers", as I described them (check out me reviewz!!). Their music was inspired by bands like The Beach Boys, taking the breezy lite-rock music that Brian's boys used to put out and twisting it by making the whole thing sound like it had been recorded by a school choir, replacing guitars with glockenspiels and mellotrons with a bloke who played a recorder. For their second album, "In Case We Die", the Aussie band have grown up. But don't fear, all ye who liked their childish ways, because they've grown up all of five years. They're out of infant school now, and moving on into the heady world of junior school. The band members sound more accomplished, the music flows easily through the album and singer Cameron Bird's voice appears to have broken. Kellie Sutherland, however, remains as fragile a singer as ever. But then again, girls always did age differently to boys.

In Case We Die is, to all extents and purposes, a school play put on record. This is nowhere more obvious than in the opening track, "Neverevereverdid" (see how childish they are? fantastic). The track begins slowly with a toll bell, leading into some odd cod-opera from Kellie, who wails impressively. A weird screechy noise like you hear in b-movies when an alien spaceships around starts up, and then a brass section, a snare drum, and some stage-effects (lightning, anyone?) all kicks into place and the music shifts into a melodramatic number that sounds like anything you'd hear at the start of the school nativity play. Then, the music cuts out, and begins properly. "Just yesterday, I was walking on the moon with your stalker", Bird sings gently, as a lolloping beat happily starts up behind him. Shakers, xylophone, wooden blocks and other instruments are played haphazardly and then the song breaks again. It's a great opening to the album, a wonderful mix of styles that works perfectly. The eccentric impatience that works so well here is seen at several other points during the album as well, most notably in the case of the title track, and "Wishbone". "In Case We Die", which is split into four parts, manages to whip through around eighty different changes of pace within only a few minutes, starting as a crash-bang assault of pop, before slowing down, speeding up, and ending up a mellow, chilled out piece of ambience. Wishbone, also, switches around like anything. This is one of only a few songs where Sutherland contributes the main vocals, and she grabs at her chance to shine. It's a pure pop number, breathlessly racing forwards over a bouncy beat as everyone in the band has a good time. Piano bounds, tambourines are shaken, and it sounds like everyone's been eating a lot of sherbet dib-dabs before they started performing. Everything you could imagine, again, packed into just over two minutes. It's this barely-suppressed creative madness that makes the album so much fun to listen to.

"The Cemetery" somehow condenses the basic plot of a horror film into a few minutes of frantic, wooden-block-tastic, trippy pop. Bird essentially raps his lyrics, whilst other members of the band talk over him and shout things out in deep voices for comic effect. It's funny, but it's also good music. Here, Bird's voice effortlessly melds into a deeper intonation, so he sounds a little like Scatman Crothers on helium, and then suddenly everything's finished in a few minutes time. And that's the main issue I have with the album; the music is gone almost as soon as it's begun. Because everything is so overexcited and prone to change mood completely within a few seconds, when you find a tune you really like, it's gone before you know what to do about it. And the tracks that don't work as well are some of the longest; "Need To Shout" is four minutes long, with the first minute taken up by odd croaks and animal noises that sound like they were taken from a swamp. Bird sings eventually, in a hushed, whispery tone, and by the time a song has developed, it's a little too late, and the song isn't interesting enough to hold your attention anymore, even if there are flutes. The closer, "What's In Store?" is similar, with an opening that sounds like something Canadian Sam Roberts would come up with, before a frog chorus begins (seriously). Then into this are some synthesiser harmonies, and then a drum and some trumpets begin, playing what sounds suspiciously like "Ding Dong Merrily on High", and after all that the song starts three minutes in, which is fantastic, but is gone very quickly. It's a great ending, really, but it takes so long to start that you get bored of waiting for it. It does end just like a school play would end, however, so they've got that down right.

"Do The Whirlwind" and "It'5!" are two of the best tracks on the album, and they're also two of the simplest in format. The latter starts off with a rhyming couplet, but then quickly launches off into a spinny, twisty chant with some organ and handclaps helping it along. "Have I failed to impress you?" asks Bird, while the band sha-la-la behind him. At random intervals they all shout "IT'S 5!", too. It's like a sugar rush in music form. Meanwhile, "Do The Whirlwind" has an addictive, klink of a beat, whereby several keyboards combine to create the prince of all funk beats, a glitzy, glamorous tune Fergie would kill for. The band all sing together, and the beat jumps the whole song into another level. It's one of the most upbeat, fun songs that you could ever hope to hear. Whilst "Rendevous: Potrero Hill" is a boring minute of elevator music, "Frenchy; I'm Faking" sounds vibrant and fresh, and energetic. Screeching guitars signal the beginning, and the whole thing winds up (literally, there's a solo performed by a chorus of power-drills) as a mock-parade theme, self-important and with a choir chanting the ending.

"Tiny Paintings" is a throwback to their previous album, a low-fi number which focuses on tingly triangles and small chimes on top of keyboards, and is a nice inclusion on the album. It sounds like the point in a school play where all the children perform a dance for no reason (we've all been there) and yes, I'll admit, little shivers run down the back of my neck when I hear it. It's delicate, and pretty, and not even some accordion can spoil it. Yet the heart of the album, the soul of everything, is easily "Maybe You Can Owe Me". It starts off with a very uninspiring singing, which sounds whiny, but after a short while the whole song shifts up a notch and becomes a heartfelt anthem. Most of the song is a triumphant outburst of music which sounds as inspired as anything. In short, it's the song which has the most power in it; beguiling in it's strength but also being the one song that means more each time you listen to it.

"In Case We Die" is a play-box filled with toys. Some of the songs are great and fun and happy, whilst some are off the mark. But then again, Architecture In Helsinki only currently have a mental age of about ten, so you can't really blame them for that, can you? This is an album that grows more and more rewarding with each listen, and I can easily recommend it to anyone - except for people who don't like fun. You know who you are. 

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