Album Review: Empire of The Sun - Two Vines

Album cover

Two Vines is the third studio album by Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun. It was released on October 28th, 2016. The duo explained the album title saying: “this image of a modern city overtaken by jungle”. 

I listen to their music since 2013, when they released Ice on the Dune (2013) and I have to say that I really like their music style, I think that it is very original and unique, also they always make me feel like I am in another world, they have an intergalactic vibe. However, when they released the first song from this new album, I thought that it was going to be the same, but they really surprised me with Two Vines.

Musically, it has their electro pop sound, with some of glam rock, but what I liked was that they explored new sounds that makes it sound fresh. Lyrically, you will find songs about hope, life, love and peace, I mean, they always have peace and love messages in their music and this is not the exception.

The album opens with Before, that sounds like all their music, but for me this track does not describes the album, because there are songs that sounds more different from this one. It is followed by High and Low, the lead single and it was about Alice D, a girl that Luke Steele (the singer) met when he was child, he said that she was "a bit of a wild child growing up". Then, the third track Two Vines, which is a slow pop ballad with a lit rhythm, but I have to say that I did not understand its message very well. 

Nevertheless, if you want to sing and dance, there are several tracks that are very catchy and danceable, such as: Friends, Way to Go, Ride (it has a Daft Punk vibe) and Zzz that was my favorite one from the album. It is about love and it has a great beat, is that kind of songs that you learn very fast because of its catchy lyrics and melody.

"Oh, tonight I stepped out, the starlight shining through

Angels calling us, we don't have too far to go

Rely on this now, the day I felt alone

Didn't wanna let you go, all we have is love to show"

On the other hand, in Two Vines you will find some good electro pop ballads, such as: Digital Life, There's No Need, where the singer's voice have a synthesizer effect. While the most vulnerable songs are First Crush and To Her Door, both songs describe the different sides of a relationship, one is about the love that you feel for the first time and the second is about the problems that people experience when in a relationship.

The deluxe version of the album contains four bonus tracks. The first three tracks are new songs, but the last one is Walking on a Dream, which was their first and most popular single, off their 2008 debut album of the same name.

Two Vines is a pretty good album with great songs, that will make you feel in another world. I liked it, but I have to admit that Empire of The Sun are not proposing anything "extraordinary" with this album, although they have explored new sounds, it does not mean that Two Vines is somethings that we had not expected.

Empire of The Sun - Two Vines: ★★★★

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