There are a couple of things that can be said about Late of the Pier, both good and bad, but the main thing anyone needs to know about the band’s debut album is this: If Christopher Walken had a fever and the only prescription was more synthesizers, he would certainly be cured by a dose of Fantasy Black Channel. This bit of news may only seem well and good for listeners who crave synthetic sounds, but fortunately, less electronically inclined listeners can also have a pretty good time with the album. Late of the Pier is also armed with a delicious ‘80s sound, quirky pop hooks and a genre-bending style that makes Fantasy Black Channel a great gateway drug into the wonderful world of electronic dance music.
The album starts off with “Hot Tent Blues,” which seems more like a throwaway bit than an actual song, as it only clocks in at a little more than a minute and is comprised exclusively of slow, oscillating guitar wails that eventually lead into the next track, “Broken.” The second track then kicks off and seems like a good introduction, as it is more guitar-heavy and generally is a more accessible track than anything else on the rest of the album.
The synthesizers hit it off with Late of the Pier’s first single, “Space and the Woods,” which is acceptably catchy but one of the less inventive tunes on the disc. From here on out, though, the disc is just short of stellar, as it takes multiple styles that range from anywhere between punk rock and electro and successfully creates a collection of unique dance tunes that make the band’s contemporaries, like MGMT or Klaxons, sound empty and somewhat boring in comparison.
Having existed for eight years, Late of the Pier has largely benefited from taking its time in the studio with production ace Erol Alkan, who added his touches to ensure that the band developed a unique, science-fiction kind of sound for its debut album. Probably the most notable song from Fantasy Black Channel is “Focker,” which benefits from a string of really tight hooks that eventually ends with a sudden transition into an electronic breakdown that is mindnumbingly catchy and easily the most fun I have had listening to a song since I first heard Justice back in 2007.
Other notable tracks include the “The Bears are Coming,” a track that makes use of some very interesting choices for percussion instruments, including some bits of wood and what sounds like glass being broken to create an abstract yet perfectly danceable synth-pop tune. “Whitesnake” comes two songs later and starts with the interesting combination of punk rock and what sounds a bit like video game music. One high-pitched piano bridge later, the song suddenly gets some power chord heavy guitar for a verse and then an eerie verse that uses the ever creepy sounding theremin to convey the final lines to the listener: “And I realize full well / That my life ain’t living hell / But I wrote the book too well” before reverting back to the video game punk groove while people chant “Whitesnake” in the background. It sounds crazy I know, but it works ... somehow.
Perhaps the easiest way to describe Late of the Pier is crazy — but in a good way. The choices of instruments and delivery of lyrics are atypical for any kind of music that people might generally expect to dance to, but it all comes together so well that you can’t help but shake your booty to it.
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