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Jun 17, 2013The guys in Empire of the Sun manage to not only catch the lightning again, but their skill at crafting perfect pop, the depth in their songs, and the emotion their voices transmit make this record better than one might have ever expected. Modern pop doesn't get any better than this.
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Jun 14, 2013Like all good records, it has its magpie moments too - the Justice / Daft Punk tinged one-two of ‘Celebrate’ and ‘Surround Sound’ especially effective in the current climate--but fundamentally Ice On The Dune is the definitive Empire Of The Sun album.
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Jul 8, 2013It’s like the best bits of MGMT, The Scissor Sisters and The Sleepy Jackson rolled into one.
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Jul 25, 2013Disjointed ending or not, Empire of the Sun has delivered a well-blended mix of disco, electropop and just plain fun that evokes the greats without copying them outright.
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Q MagazineJun 17, 2013[The title track] like the rest of this exceptional LP, works fine as one chapter in an elaborate concept opus, but is just as satisfying for those with both feet in reality. [Jul 2013, p.98]
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Jun 17, 2013Ice on the Dune is a seamless suite of elegiac synthpop, with fairydust-flecked melodies, a perpetually peaking bass end, chord changes that reach into your heart, and fantasising falsetto vocals.
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Jun 13, 2013The album is full of high-energy, highly-infectious dance numbers--in a way that demands frequently radio play, big-budget festival spots, distasteful Kesha collaborations, and another five year break between this and album #3.
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Jun 24, 2013Alive and Concert Pitch are deliriously upbeat confections, but a whole album in that vein could be capable of inducing dental caries at 50 paces. Thankfully, the second half finds them in more restrained--but no less winning--mood.
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UncutJun 13, 2013In essence, Ice On The Dune is pure pop with a twist--like a modern day 10cc, or ELO using synths instead of strings. [Jul 2013, p.75]
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Under The RadarJun 13, 2013Harnessing a number of pop hit-making producers and mixers guarantees Ice On The Dune the requisite polish and shininess necessary for everyman's ear. On their own, however, the songs still have the relentless hooks, the danceable rhythms, the chiseled melodies, plus the mysterious lyricism that production alone cannot create. [Jun-Jul 2013, p.86]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 44 out of 50
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Mixed: 5 out of 50
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Negative: 1 out of 50
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May 19, 2015
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Nov 15, 2013
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Jul 8, 2013