Will Shenton
There's something undeniably meditative about Syracuse's brand of dance pop. Their new record, Liquid Silver Dreams, builds as much on repetition and hypnotic beats as it does on catchy hooks, and while I could certainly see the Parisian duo lighting up a nightclub, their music goes beyond the constraints of the genre to create a sound that holds up under more serious scrutiny as well.
The album title is apt, as each track feels like its own segment of a continuous dream. The drawn-out, inviting beats lull the listener into a trance which is only occasionally punctuated by vocal interludes, and there's enough variation in the synths and effects to hold your attention for the duration. The nearly eleven-minute title track, in particular, is a fantastic example of how a song can progress through internal movements without being heavy-handed.
Though perhaps a bit too short to be called an LP, Liquid Silver Dreams is long enough to serve as a thorough introduction to Syracuse's style. Thoughtful, engrossing, and written with surprising attention to detail, it's an excellent full-length debut that's given me high expectations for the group's future.