radio spectacular!!!
Reviewed by: Alastair Collins
Published: 11 November 2010
ep: sugar baby, honey child
Radio Spectacular!!!'s new EP Sugar Baby, Honey Child is a great example of a strange little sub-genre of electronica driven pop that’s been emerging in the past decade. It’s a little bit retro, a little bit Beck and quite a lot Freezepop. It makes you want to dance, but has an understated quality about it which makes it more of a soundtrack to a great party than something you want to sing along with.
Presentation of the packaging and the audio quality of this EP are both fantastic. I like that each EP comes with 5 Polaroids, taken by band member Phebe Rendulic, giving each a little individuality. Of course, something like that can only be effective for a small release, but it’s nice. The artwork is… strange, but the quality of it is very high. The sound of the CD is top notch, particularly since it was made, mixed and mastered in the suspiciously home-studio sounding ‘Studio Spectacular’.
I should also point out, for those who buy a copy of it, that the EP’s Gracenote database listing on iTunes is wrong. 'Sugar Baby, Honey Child' is the final track, not the first.
As I said already, this EP isn’t really one that will leap out and grab your attention. The music is great and would provide a great backdrop for any happy occasion, but it lacks the kind of insidious hooks and catchy lyrics that make pop songs memorable, let alone chart toppers. It’s a limit to the success of the EP, but in these days of the internet and cheap digital downloads, it’s not much of one. This EP has the potential to do very well, maybe not make a million square, but at least pay for the next release.
Despite all the talk of it not really having any catchy hooks, I will say that 'You Light Me Up' is the first song in a long time that actually makes me want to dance. The chorus of this song is wonderful and simple, begging to be sung along to even though it doesn’t really have words, but is one of those wonderful hooks that doesn’t outstay its welcome. It’s a rare quality that should be encouraged in more pop music; it lets you listen to it more without it becoming annoying.
'Mirror Mountain' stands out as the next strongest song to me, which is a little strange considering they’re the last two tracks, but that doesn’t mean that the opening tracks are weak. '1000 Colours' is possibly the most single-like song on here and 'Good To Me' has a great sense of impetus to it.
If you enjoy light hearted, slightly retro, electronic pop then Radio Spectacular!!! are exactly the kind of band you should be watching closely, let alone buying the CDs of. Sugar Baby, Honey Child is an enjoyable little slice of synthesized happiness, for lack of a better phrase, so do yourself a favor and buy it.
