Sundara Karma gained a lot of attention with their 2017 debut "Youth Is Only Fun In Retrospect" and it's anthemic, coming of age, indie rock singles. However their was an arty, more ambitious element to that album which resulted in the band sounding split between two identities, unsure of which road to take. I was initially disappointed when the band started rolling out singles for the follow up, seemingly ditching the sound that made the likes of Flame and Explore such enjoyable songs, rather delving deeper into their art rock tendencies. This worry was quickly dismissed when the album released, as it just works, and I am enjoying it more with each listen.
Gone are the indie dance floor tracks about going out and young romance, replaced with songs about colourful characters and bizarre places. There is a very David Bowie feel to this album, not just in Oscar Pollock's distinct voice but also the lyrics and themes. The single One Last Night On This Earth is about an alien crash landing on Earth and discovering love. You can't get more Bowie than that. The album darts from one place to another, making huge stylistic shifts between songs. This, for me, means not every song connects, but the constantly changing sound keeps me engaged. Some highlights include the sizzling electronic rock of Higher Stakes, a track which sound like it would fit perfectly in the soundtrack to some futuristic racing game like F-Zero. Little Smart Houses bounces along as Oscar sings about being 'warm and dumb' in our 'little smart houses'. The vocals on the title track are processed with some vibrato and reverb to sound echoey an distant, coupled with the lush piano make it sound like the track is taking place in a thunderstorm. The best moment is Rainbow Body, a tense and atmospheric post-punk tune which bursts into colour towards the end.
While the album lacks the feel-good singles which drew them so much attention, I do feel it is a better album overall than the debut. It's less bloated and more ambitious, and the band sound committed to the direction they've taken.
Top Tracks: Higher Stakes, Illusions, Little Smart Houses, Rainbow Body, Ulfias' Alphabet
7/10
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