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Empire State Human - impressive debut

Lithouse | Boston, MA USA | 03/20/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a review of the Irish group Empire State Human's cd "Pop Robot" released, thus far, only in the U.S. on Ninthwave Records (2002). Fans of The Human League have already deciphered the reference to that groundbreaking UK group, who coincidently celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release "Dare" this year, argueably one of the top five synthpop albums of all time.While it remains to see if Empire State Human (ESH) can aspire to Human League heights, Pop Robot is a very, very good album and rates outstanding as a debut synthpop cd. Empire State Human has picked up where The Human League left off with "Dare", and reworked other vintage 80's techniques like the steady groove of "Big In Japan" by Alphalville and the vocal gymnastics of Jimmy Somerville of the Communards on "Never Can Say Goodbye". Fans of The The, The Blue Nile, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, Erasure and Style Council will also be happy with Pop Robot and its agreeable homage these groups. However, Pop Robot is not an 80's sounding cd. ESH is a modern synthpop band more aptly compared with Iris, Covenant, The Echoing Green, Ganymede and Blue October current bands who practice with the power of crystal clear production and well crafted pop songs.What sets ESH apart from its contempories is an amazing ear and talent for production. Like The Thompson Twins did most of their career, ESH has self-crafted 21 tracks of perfect stereo and tonally balanced songs without sacrificing variety of sounds. Amazingly consistent and not an easy thing to do. There is not a bad track on Pop Robot which cannot be said for 99% of today's music and incredulous considering the 21 songs Ninthwave Records has packed on this cd. I would rate three songs: Hand On the Gun, Swinging Pendulums and Eastern Lights as "A" level songs. Overall, Empire State Human gets 4 out of 5 stars for Pop Robot from me, but what can be heard is the potential for a 5 star album (every song a classic) from this promising band. In the meantime, this cd will vastly entertain anyone who likes good pop music. Lithouse."

Supreme Pop!

orac | Ascot UK | 03/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pop Robot contains 21 tracks in total including one very special cover version not mentioned on the sleeve. You would be forgiven for thinking that 21 tracks has to include its fair share of filler material and I was worried that this would be the case before playing the CD.
As soon as the album had finished, I was playing it again.
Pop Robot is actually 14 tracks long whilst the extra tracks cover highlights from their online album that was available to buy from PEOPLESOUND.COM
After the woeful Pet Shop Boy album, Pop Robot is a wonderful tonic. The album is impressive and consistent and it only takes one listen before you are dragged into some delicious synth melodies that tell sci-fi tales from the future as well as love and other things. The album gets off to an impressive start with the track Hand on the Gun and whilst the production is very accomplished throughout (similar to the complex layers of dance innovators The Beloved), studio trickery never obscures the catchy melodies. Produced by the band themselves, Pop Robot sounds more polished then many of the CD's you would pick up in your local record store and this is really encouraging from such a young band. It also hints at a rare talent, but Empire's biggest skill is their ability to craft catchy synth rifts and memorable choruses. The third track Swinging Pendulums is a classic synth track in every sense of the word. Moody, atmospheric and utterly memorable, every track has the unique Empire State Human sound. They haven't simply replicated what has gone before though homage is paid to Kraftwerk and early Pet Shop Boys - when their records contained energy and excitement. Swinging Pendulums is a clever mixture of analogue and digital technology together with crisp production and it has to be played loud to fully appreciate its sonic soundscape.
I Work For The Government is another melodic gem all about the joys of being a secret agent.
Tongue-in-cheek references litter the next few tracks whilst Film Star is delivered in the style of a younger Neil Tennant from the early 80's before breaking out into a great chorus, `Where you in somebody's film? You were the one with the idiot grin.'
The next song and title track Pop Robot is an amusing yet affectionate tribute to Kraftwerk with Beloved sounding effects that made their 1989 hit The Sun Rising so memorable.
Next up is Channel Five and its one of the albums many highlights. The track contains some clever uses of sampled dialogue from a film I can't place but it all fits well within the melody as if it was always part of the track. The song also reminds me in places of Heaven 17 (At The Height of The Fighting) with regards to the chorus with single words treated with sound effects above a cracking tune.
Munich Robots is another Kraftwerk meets Beloved type track with cold vocals aided by warm analogue sounds and brilliant production. Other highlights include the atmospheric Eastern Lights and contains a chorus that OMD's Andy McCluskey would have been proud of. It's no easy skill being able to produce those unforgettable melodies that OMD and The Human League have provided over the years, but ESH show encouraging signs that it all comes so naturally to them. Into Your Life is pure OMD from the Junk Culture period in terms of hook and structure but it retains its own individual appeal.
The quality of the album remains high even with the extra tracks. Apollo is pure brilliance and sends shivers down my back with the finely crafted melody and haunting synth rifts confirming that there is real talent on this record. Another choice track included as an extra is Leap of Faith this time with female backing vocals and it's a combination that really works well here. The delicious chorus lodges itself in your brain and I really hope they continue to develop in this vein with future releases (the band are currently completing two new albums for Ninth Wave that are expecting to be released later this year).
None of the extra tracks disappoint and Pop Robot closes with an inspired cover of The Human League's Empire State Human (already given the thumbs-up by former League innovator Martyn Ware who co-wrote the original version)"

''www.e-lectric.de'' review - Translated from German

Mr. Aidan Casserly | Ireland | 08/01/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"EMPIRE STATE HUMANPOP ROBOT-NINTHWAVE RECORDSAfter we repeatedly received the laurels in advance ( a German saying, meaning that they heard good rumours about ESH), we have the debut album of the (only) Irish Synthpopband ESH here. Like the name of the band and the album, the roots of this 3 musicians are situated between The Human League and Kraftwerk. Founded in 1999, ESH already delivered a self produced CD -Martial Anthems. Commendably 7 of those tracks found their way onto the new version of Pop Robot, which increases the number of tracks to 21. A first version of this album was already released in 200, without the bonustracks. While listening to it for the first time, it is the distinctive, high voice of the singer, that stands out, which is, beside the catchy melodies, the trade mark of ESH. Really catchy melodies like "Hand On The Gun", "Apollo" or "Swinging Pendulums" succeeded as well as intrumental pieces like "Robot Love", "Sach's Theme" or "Flight From Mars". Synthpop of an absolute purity with a high quality. A band with this rating is also allowed to combine an "It's A Real Good Feeling" like sounding Happy-beat with sickly triangle sounds with impunity, like done in "Into Your Life", without sounding embarrassing. A little bit of Erasure, a bit of US-Synthpop and a whole lot of an own style are mixed to a kind of synthpop, which can do without overdriven retro - quotations, which has saved its place in the hall of fame. At the very end of the album, ESH couldn't resist, to pay tribute to their big idols and interpret a version of the classic, that gave the band its name. Their version of the over 20 years old Human League banger "Empire State Human" is in no way inferior to the original. After Sweden, Germany and the USA now also Ireland has its big synthpop hope (German saying - means a talent, that is expected to be big one day) !"