WhoMadeWho: Brighter - Album Review

WhoMadeWho
Brighter
Rating: Meh

Danish disco-punks WhoMadeWho have gradually evolved from their early party singles in the mid-2000s to a more atmospheric, moodier sound, joining the ranks of bands like Hot Chip, Miike Snow, and Cut Copy in bringing a more structured and mature sound to the dance floor. Their latest album, Brighter, is a slickly produced set of dance tracks that span house music, dance-punk, electro, dubstep, and a hundred other genres in between. There is an awful lot to enjoy on the record, however, too often the album's over-polished production sheen buffs the tracks into a sterility. But for every unmemorable dance track, there is one in contrast that has an edge and/or something in it that pulls one away from the "heard that sound before" mentality.

The chugging bass line, swooning synths, and falsetto vocals of "Skinny Dipping," build and build to a wonderful crescendo. While "The End," has a strange mixture of a tribal beat, dreamy underwater guitars, and awkward dubstep textures that shouldn't work but somehow do. "Never Had The Time" throbs and pulses with an electro-house mix that, combined with the agonized vocal turn, promise release but keeps it far from hand.



The gorgeous "Running Man," utilizes a plaintive piano chord effectively creating a sense of gravity and drama to what would be a merely pleasant downtempo track.



And "Below The Cherry Moon" closes out the album on a relatively down note; its buzzy synths and low-key vocal and accompaniment bring the album to a suitably muted end.



Had Brighter continued mining tracks like these, it would have made for a much more varied, and nuanced record. Too often, the songs lack any personality, the overly clean production making the tracks seem like retreads of other bands/producers. From the Hot Chip-isms of "Inside World,"



the Georgio Moroder like "Greyhound,"



or "The Sun," which apes the sun-splashed quirkiness of Miike Snow.



The remaining tracks, while catchy, just don't have the energy of the best tracks on Brighter. "Head On My Pillow" sticks to its trajectory, rarely varying from its languid pulse.



"Fireman" is merely a skeletal beat and lightly strummed acoustic guitars, and possibly the most annoying, monotone harmonies I have ever heard. And "The Divorce" feels like it is made from synth patches Soft Cell used back in the early 80s.



The great tracks on Brighter really make the other tracks' flaws standout even more. There is so much good here that it is disappointing that so much filler mars the collection. Had WhoMadeWho spent more time working on these quirkier tracks, instead of trying to sound like almost every other dance/rock act, the album would have been a much more successful venture.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.