No strangers to the theatrical, Australian synth-pop pair Empire of the Sun waste no time kicking off their sophomore outing in dramatic fashion. The slightly clunky, yet mystical and grandiose, “Lux” acts like an instrumental announcement perfectly fit for the stage. Despite being a divisive intro and a somewhat mismatched piece compared to the rest of the album, it’s certainly going to grab your attention, a statement that sadly can’t be said for the majority of what follows.
Don’t get me wrong, Ice On the Dune is by no means to be written off completely, but it’s nowhere near as effective as it could, or rather should, be. Sure, Luke Steele’s breezy falsetto still rings out with distinction, and the duo know how to extract a dreamy and ethereal pop melody, but in a post-Gaga world, where synthesized and electronic pop has spawned a landfill of new contributors, it takes more than those aforementioned attributes to leave a lasting mark.
Five years have passed since the group released their dazzling debut, Walking On A Dream, but rather than use that prolonged absence to build up the lo-fi vapor their debut left behind, they seem all too happy to repeat the formula once more — only this time ‘round, it’s steeped firmly in one dimension and, for the most part, feels like a weaker interpretation of their first effort. Ice On The Dune seems too content to rest on what it knows. In doing so, most of the tracks congeal into one stretched out idea that holds no real shape, especially with repeat listens. There are the odd exceptions to be found — the cosmic closer “Keep A Watch” with its ambient lather and Pink Floyd meets Elton John pop and the anthemic single “Alive” are both prime examples. In a record that sees mediocrity flow feverishly throughout, though, these short and seldom sparks of excitement only provide cruel teases.
This unfortunate result may be a case of timing, artistic rust, or hell, it might just be the sophomore slump rearing its beastly head. Whatever the cause, one thing remains clear: ice may very well be on the dune, but it’s the disappointment floating atop Empire of the Sun’s second release that leaves the coldest chill.