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Nov 1, 2016On their third LP, Two Vines, the band continues to make glossy retro-futurist pop, creating a world of synthesizers and keyboards that feels both primeval and modern at once.
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Oct 31, 2016Yes, it’s over-AutoTuned, and the ballads are still rubbish. But this somehow smooshes Cut Copy, ELO and Daft Punk into a honeyed mess that leaves you licking the bowl and twitching for more.
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Oct 27, 2016Two Vines may not be the group's masterpiece, but it is their most consistent album yet. Their mastery of modern pop sounds, ability to craft melodies that have a timeless quality, and the real connection they provide to people who want their frivolous pop music to have some depth and meaning, is impressive.
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Q MagazineOct 26, 2016Two Vines is a leap forward for pop's most enchanting odd couple. [Dec 2016, p.102]
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Oct 26, 2016The content of Two Vines doesn’t need to truly illustrate that concept to succeed. Empire of the Sun have managed to remain steadfast in the sound they’ve carved out for themselves since day one, which can be a challenge for a band that has pushed as big and wide as these two have.
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Dec 2, 2016There remains something unknowable about them; their presence is always somewhat enigmatic, served only by the gilded sheen of their music which remains ornate but, crucially, as approachable as ever.
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Nov 4, 2016Beautifully produced it may be, but Two Vines is essentially an over polished collection of songs with less spontaneity in their composition.
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Oct 31, 2016The dangers of crafting intricate visual and musical landscapes, as is the tradition with Empire of the Sun, are exposed with Two Vines. Getting it right is so rewarding, but it's a daunting task to replicate such a vision on each track. When they fly, they soar. But when their artistic façade fractures, the cracks are just too glaring.
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MojoOct 28, 2016Their music palette may be limited but their style knows no bound. [Dec 2016, p.92]
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Oct 27, 2016The ecological concept behind the album doesn’t really assert itself among the dreamy backdrops. But it also means we get some superbly written pop/indie hybrids, of which the pick are Way to Go and First Crush, both of which evoke coastal drives, each sumptuous chorus sliding into place like the shifting of gears in a luxury car.
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UncutOct 26, 2016Two Vines mostly sticks with the tried-and-true. [Dec 2016, p.26]
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Oct 26, 2016Two Vines glows with a relaxed, beachside warmth that brings to mind “Standing On The Shore” from their debut.
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Oct 26, 2016The credentials are there, the ability is clearly there, but for now these emperors are yet to truly shine.
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Nov 3, 2016The band seem at times to have forgotten who they are. Where Luke Steele’s voice is at its most powerful when endearingly coarse and nasal, there are moments when the band make the bizarre decision to Auto-Tune it, rendering it generic.
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Oct 27, 2016Steele would surf in the morning and retreat to the studio later on. It’s the kind of idyllic setting where days simply just pass by. Unfortunately, too many of the tracks on Two Vines do exactly the same.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 22 out of 28
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Mixed: 2 out of 28
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Negative: 4 out of 28
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Nov 1, 2016
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Jun 27, 2017
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Oct 30, 2016