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Cut Copy: In Ghost Colours

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Within the space of a year, electro-dance-pop has taken off in the indie world. While females like M.I.A. and Santogold were busy blowing up around the U.S., two artists from Melbourne, Australia took up my attention span. I reviewed my first Australian obsession, Muscles, last semester. Now I happily introduce to you Cut Copy: a three person all male alterna-dance group, who bring out the best awkward dancing hipster jerks imaginable.

In Ghost Colours is the trio’s sophomore album, and is sure to please even those people who haven’t yet crossed over to openly enjoying dance music. Don’t be misled though; the album is not 100 percent electronic. Guitars and drums have a fairly significant presence in several songs. The result is a multifaceted album in which the sounds range from ’80s reminiscence to low-pitch punk vocals.

The lyrics are simply okay, but as is true with most dance music, when dancing your heart out, you might find higher meaning in what they’re singing — if only in that blissful moment when your movements are controlled by the sound. Lyrics like, “Listen to the voice that says alright / this is start and not the end tonight,” are easily disregarded on a first listen. But when absorbed in Cut Copy, there’s a slight transcendence and these words become purposeful passages of mental reason.

If this review seems to be lacking in conviction, then maybe the fact that Cut Copy has sold out two nights back-to-back in NYC’s 1,400-person-capacity Webster Hall two weeks from now will do the trick. Or just trust me and at least do yourself the favor of previewing the songs “Feel the Love” and “Lights and Music.” It’s likely you’ll fall in love now and end up thanking me later.

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