Stripmall Architecture | Albino Peacock ep (object007)
CD + Digital Album
Stripmall Architecture is one of those bands that makes you wonder why they aren’t as popular as bands such as Love and Rockets, Siouxsie & The Banshees, or even Ladytron. They have an incredible collection of material available to form a rock solid opinion of; including two full-length albums as well as a plethora of singles.
The latest offering from the band is entitled “Albino Peacock EP”, and I must say that these four songs are the best group of songs I’ve heard since they released their Sawtooth EP under the name Halou.
One of the differences between Halou and Stripmall Architecture has been the step away from the mellow electronics and an embrace of straight ahead indie rock; both styles are easily mastered by Ryan and Rebecca Coseboom, the core behind SMA.
From the first few chords of Lemoncholic, you can tell immediately that this is a song that the band is especially proud of. Firstly, it’s incredibly fun and has a bounce to it as if the spirit of Robert Smith of The Cure somehow was guiding the controls. I laughed when I thought that the word ‘lemoncholic’ was a play on the spelling of melancholy (I still need clarification on this). The song lyrics tell a different tale altogether and could almost be construed as political; almost as if it were an ode to Julian Assange and Wikileaks.
Lauren, I Said has a beat that is reminiscent of ‘The Only Time’ by Nine Inch Nails, but with a much more feminine and seductive groove which invokes the spirit of Daniel Miller. I could easily hear this song played at an alternative nightclub…very single-worthy.
Stripmall Architecture have made a career of smashing boundaries with their music but this EP could easily be hijacked by the gothic crowd due to the darker themes displayed throughout. A fantastic example of this is the third track entitled Peacock; it’s even more sultry than Lauren, I Said and clearly invokes parallels in sheer attitude with Siouxsie & The Banshees or even Bauhaus; this is definitely one of the best vocal arrangements that I’ve heard from Rebecca Coseboom and she has a ton!
Lastly, is one of my favorite songs released by SMA to date and it’s entitled One Of Three. Once again, your inner electronic erogenous zone will be pleasured with the early New Wave/Electronic influence. The song is very percussive and minimal and brought images to mind of The Normal’s “Warm Leatherette”.
Don’t just take my word for it. Be sure to check out Stripmall Architecture’s Bandcamp page and listen (and buy) their stuff.
…I didn’t even mention how amazing their album artwork was…
