Album Review: Radiation City – Synesthetica
2 min read
American indie/rock group Radiation City continue to impress audiences with their lives shows, and listeners with their music. Every release since their 2011 debut album The Hand That Takes You has been received well by critics and fans alike; but that didn’t stop the group from being close to breaking up at one point. Rather than call it quits, the group pulled through and steered their sound in a new musical direction; their new album Synesthetica explores new sonic territory for the group than ever before.
Forget everything you knew about the old Radiation City. Synesthetica has seen the group explore different sounds with invigorating and exciting results. On this new release the group favours synthesisers and trippy beats as opposed to the more raw indie sound they were previously known for. Take Juicy for example; the instrumentation is otherworldly and the melody is effortlessly fun while the beat is subtle and addictive with the vocal remaining breathy and light. a truly successful mixed bag. In contrast Milky White is more of an in-your-face track with its edgy guitar line and desperate melody; the vocals backing it all up with drama.
For something with more atmosphere, give Separate a spin; the back and forth structure between vocalists keeps you hooked as well as its full sound. The exciting Futures is like a snapshot in time; it almost crosses Beatles territory when you listen to its airy harmonies while Butter is both climactic and smooth and a progressive addition to the record.
Radiation City seem to have made the right move in reinventing their sound. Synesthetica surely is a listening experience from start to end. Synths may not be music’s most recent invention but Radiation City have helped to keep them relevant on this new release; they give the album life where other instruments may not have been able to. If you enjoy listening to an album to wind down, Synesthetica sets the mood for a good chill-out session.
