Empire Of The Sun // Walking On A Dream

The debut album from Empire of the Sun is one of 2009’s most hotly tipped releases, so I approached it with high expectations. I generally feel a little let down by the kind of hype that surrounds ‘must have’ releases, but I’m happy to report that ‘Walking on a Dream’ doesn’t disappoint. From the second that opener ‘Standing On The Shore’s Balearic guitar kicks in, to the final synthesiser note of closer ‘Without You’, the quality of Australian duo Luke Steele (of The Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore’s eclectic mix of musical influences shines through. The lush ballad ‘We Are The People’ contrasts sharply with ‘Swordfish Hotkiss Night’, which sounds like the best song Basement Jaxx never wrote, while former single ‘Walking On A Dream’ is so bright and breezy it can’t fail to lift your mood. Empire of the Sun cover a lot of ground over 10 tracks, but the sequencing is perfect and the end result is an album that exudes class. If you fell in love with MGMT’s album last year or feel like getting in the mood for summer early you’ll love this. In fact, I'd urge everyone who likes good music to rush out and grab/download a copy now.