Synthpop with Human Soul
t-man376 | Albany, NY | 01/26/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Austria's contributions to modern music have been dubious at best. Most notorious amongst them was Falco, a club-hopping clown, who, in the era of Reagan, Thatcher and a divided Europe, forged a laughable link between the cheesy synthesizer doodlings of 80's techno and the brilliance of an 18th century prodigy who played for the court of Salzburg. While the laptop-pop collaborators of Mika hail from the same homeland, they are not plagued by the same over-the-top pomposity and delusions of grandeur that prompted the new wave jester to pen "Rock Me Amadeus."They do, however, share his love of the synthesizer, especially the loud, moody and aggressive one that propelled most dance music in Europe during the era of denim, day-glo and the feathered, faux-hawk mullet. Fortunately, Mika comes from a better stock than most of those musicians and understands the best electronic songs have a human soul. Right Place, Right Time is drawn from the same synthesized roots as albums from Human League and Depeche Mode. But while DM's landmark Violator combined the majesty of spacey techno with the melancholy feelings of resignation and rebirth that inform post-punk, Mika fuses digital bliss with soulful pop in a way that at its best echoes the Pet Shop Boys and at its worst mimics modern downbeat maestros such as Royksopp, Plej and Ralph Myerz with the Jack Herren Band. "Trampolin" is Mika at the top of its game. A big bass-drum beat wrapped in a driving synth riff propels forward a wistful chanteuse with a slight german lilt in her gentle voice. The track has a retro feel recalling the smoky, strobe-lit confines of an eastern European discotheque, circa 1986. Songs like "From Now On" and "Travelling Not Hunting" offer similarly nostalgic experiences, with enough lazy funk to make them suitable for today's chillout sessions. The more thoughtful and pensive "My Opinion Never Sleeps" goes in another direction, a nod perhaps to the softer side of new wave and the more recent organic movement as represented by Manitoba or M83.
Where Right Place, Right Time falls flat is on tracks like "Masquerade" and "Suga" that lapse into generic downtempo. There is already too much of this kind of music out there, and, without the European-flavored, synthpop spin of Mika's best material, it's just not good enough to be vital in a crowded field. Lyrically, Mika is also disappointing. Songs like "I Am Looking Through You" ("Tell me why don't you treat me right/Love has a way of disappearing overnight") are painfully predictable, while others such as "Travelling Not Hunting" ("Always check if everything's okay/Always check things when you travel") are downright odd. Few lyrics compliment the mood set by the instrumentation. Any artist reaching back to new wave should recognize the role good songwriting played in that musical movement (imagine synth-pop classics like Human League's "Don't You Want Me?" or the Eurythmic's "Sweet Dreams" without the vocal tracks). Alas, it's a lesson unlearned by even the best electronic artists of today.Right Place, Right Time is a decent CD. None of the songs are bad, there is a consistent mood throughout, and remixed versions of "Trampolin" will probably make their way onto the better compilations discs this year. However, Mika fails to live up to the potential of its strongest tracks. This could be the group that rescues rocking, European-style synthpop from its vulgarization at the hands of electroclash hacks like Fischerspooner and Peaches. Mika just needs dual doses of the ambition and audacity that drove their deceased Austrian forbearers -- Mozart and Falco."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1