It can't be just me who thinks that Zonoscope didn't get the acclaim it deserved, right? From what I can recall, it flew well under the radar for most people. At the time, I thought it was a step down from 2008's In Ghost Colours (one of the best synth-pop albums of the past 5 years), but it's proved to be quite a grower, to the extent that I only started to properly appreciate it around the time Cut Copy dropped some new material in August.
That new track, re-titled as 'Let Me Show You Love' on their newest album, signalled a shift away from an indie-dance aesthetic into something much more reminiscent of acid house. If you like your Cut Copy with a dash of guitars thrown in, then 'Free Your Mind' may take a little while to open up. While their hook-writing abilities haven't diminished one jot, this album differs greatly from its predecessors in its execution. As hinted at by its psychedelic album cover and song titles, the new record is a mind-expanding listen.
Essentially a 10-track album broken up by 4 segue tracks, its structure allows for an impressive flow to develop, ensuring that things never become too overwhelming; last time out, the 15-minute behemoth 'Sun God' allowed the Melbourne quartet to really let themselves go, making this album's longest cut, 'Meet Me in a House of Love', seem like a drop in the ocean in comparison. Full of uplifting hooks - good luck getting 'In Memory Capsule' out of your head any time soon - and a general aura of positivity, it's saved from ever becoming too mawkish by its sheer likeability.
Things get particularly interesting in the album's closing moments, with 'Walking in the Sky' slowing things right down, throwing in percussion, handclaps and thudding 80s drums. It will probably be dismissed by some as the record's token ballad, but it's the time-out that the album needs for its spaced-out coda, 'Mantra', to have the desired effect. Despite its striking immediacy, there are some tracks that initially fall through the cracks (like the album's dark horse, 'Dark Corners and Mountain Tops'), but there's grower potential here too.
It's coming up on 10 years since Cut Copy released Bright Like Neon Love, and in that time they have showcased a desire to always keep moving. In electronic music circles, there is sometimes an air of fickleness, with acts being criticised for moving on as often as they take hits for staying the same, but Cut Copy's career is one founded on gradual progression. Now 4 albums in, 'Free Your Mind' proves that they're well able to keep things interesting, while cementing their position as one of the most reliable electronic acts going.
