Empire for the Masses

Empire of the Sun, Walking on a Dream
Following the current trend in Electro/Indie Pop-Rock, I present you with Empire of the Sun and their debut album Walking on a Dream. If you can, try to imagine MGMT on a month long ecstacy binder and you'll come close to imagining this Australian duo. With over the top imagery that is matched by their insanely poppy brand of electro pop music, Empire of the Sun looks like they stepped right out of sci-fi flic and into the musical spotlight.
"Standing on the Shore" is the opening track on the album, and introduces you to the Empire with a guitar riff of epic potential. The band likes their chanting choruses almost as much as their spacey lyrics. The title track "Walking on a Dream" is a dancefloor grind waiting to happen, with lyrics that express "running for the thrill of it" in such a way it'll make you think about abandoning your job for the sake of just dancing.
The album has gone platinum in their homeland of Australia, and it's easy to see why. Full of catchy hooks and creativity. Singer Luke Steele has a unique vocal performance on the album, sounding a bit like he's singing with his mouth only open enough to let the words escape. I personally can't put aside the comparison of Empire to the boys of MGMT, but as long as they list them as an inspiration I'm fine with it!
To get into the album I suggest you listen to "Walking on a Dream" on a crowded dance floor, grab the nearest set of hips to you and dance, just dance. Dance like you'll die tomorrow.

Key tracks: "Standing on the Shore", "Walking on a Dream"