New Music: The Naked and Famous

By Gurman Sahota, October 25 2016—

Ushering in a synth-pop decadence with a heavy dose of nostalgia, The Naked and Famous return with their third studio album Simple Forms. 

The album begins with anthemic opener “Higher,” which features an infectious chorus that will stick in your head and keep you company during quiet hours. The band exemplifies late ‘80s and early ‘90s synthesizer music. But instead of sounding dated, the album is cool and refreshing — a summery collection of tracks in the midst of autumn turning to winter.

“Last Forever” has threads of early ‘90s dance music, with falsettos and a simple, repetitive chorus. The ending fades into simple acoustics that cut through the dance-pop themes of the album, making the track more current.

The nostalgia doesn’t stop, as “Backslide” serves as a reminder that mid-2000s emo music existed. However, the song is an updated version of that era and a cute reminder of the music that garnered popularity in high school.

Themes of love, loss and remaining wild and independent filter throughout, leaving listener ssatisfied with the band and its third album.

The band makes ample use of a repetitive chorus, with the energy level ebbing and flowing through the entire album.

While the 10-track album has influences of earlier musical styles, the band makes the often exclusive indie-pop genre more edible to mainstream listeners. It is a good album to begin with when venturing into the world of indie-pop electronica.

Experimenting with alternative genres mixed with classic electronic beats proves successful for The Naked and Famous, as does keeping the album to 10 tracks. With snappy lyrics and indulgent electronic beats, it will be difficult to not tap your heels to at least one track.