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Cover Art

Architecture In Helsinki ( )

Places Like This
Polyvinyl ( http://www.polyvinylrecords.com @Polyvinyl )
Architecture in Helsinki aren't easy to pin down.  It's tempting to try and slot the Australian collective into some kind of current trend, but currently, there aren't many trends that sound remotely like this.  The group have an odd worldbeat vibe - without ever really delving into worldbeat - created through the use of left-field instruments and a focus on rhythm and syncopation.  It would be vaguely tribal, if tribal music were made by an over-caffeinated and updated version of the B-52s.  Rhythms play such an important role that everything, including the vocal, that the arrangements seem to serve the rhythm first and the melody second.  Occasionally that means the melodies aren't memorable - although tracks such as "Red Turned White" and the first single "Heart It Races" show they've also got a few hooks to hang their songs on.  Different enough to throw you at first, Places Like This is the kind of album you might not dig the first time through, because it does occasionally approach quirk overload, but once you've becomes accustomed to it, there's a lot to enjoy.

By James Hayashi-Tennant
Sep 14, 2007

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