Places Like This in Bloomington, MN

Architecture in Helsinki
have never been afraid of taking risks. The octet made a radical change from its first album to its second, trading the spare, sweet sonics of
Fingers Crossed
for the brilliant collision of sounds and melodies on
In Case We Die
. The band attempts another dramatic switch on
Places Like This
, diving into brash, bold
indie
-
dance
without looking back. Unfortunately, this time their fearlessness doesn't pay off: not only is
not as musically satisfying as
's previous albums, it lacks a lot of their trademark charm and is often downright annoying. Considering that the band didn't have problems making cute, danceable songs like
"Do the Whirlwind"
in the past, exactly what went wrong and why so much of
sounds like bad remixes of good
songs is hard to pinpoint. However, one of the reasons this album is a sharp downgrade from the rest of the band's work is easy to hear:
Helsinki
's lead Architect
Cameron Bird
seems to have had a vocal transplant, singing with an abrasive, pseudo-funky growl instead of his usual whispery tenor. Actually,
Bird
's vocals were an acquired taste to begin with, but now listeners have to get used to them all over again, and his new style might be a deal-breaker for some. He grunts, bellows, and shouts on
"Hold Music,"
adopts a shrieky falsetto on
"Debbie,"
and just generally sounds obnoxious for most of the album, which is a shame, since there are some interesting things going on underneath
's blowhard vocals.
"Lazy (Lazy)"
balances
Afro-pop
-inspired verses with noisy, distorted choruses, while
"Heart It Races"
flirts with island rhythms and sunny steel drums. There are also a few moments on
where the music actually outshines the unfortunate singing, as on
"Feather in a Baseball Cap,"
which boasts fascinatingly busy layers of brass, guitar, and synth textures, and
"Same Old Innocence,"
a slice of good-natured
punk
that may be
's most straightforwardly accessible song yet. Along with the shift in sound, the band's attitude also takes a disappointing turn on
.
and
had an organic joy, but
try to make
a nonstop party, and the constant, in-your-face glee of songs like
"Red Turned White"
"Underwater"
could turn even the most well-adjusted listener into a
Grinch
. There are a couple of standouts here --
"Like It or Not"
could be a cross between
"It'5!"
the Cure
's bizarrely cheerful moments, while
"Nothing's Wrong"
shows what the rest of the album should've sounded like -- but most of
is a mystifying misfire, made all the more perplexing by how successful
's flights of fancy had been up to this point. ~ Heather Phares