Austra
Out 16 May
Following a small string of UK dates, Toronto based electronic trio Austra (pronounced Owstra) are set to release their debut LP Feel it Break which sees a unique collision of genres.
Lead singer Katie Stelmanis and her classical and operatic upbringing seem to be the driving force behind the album which sits nicely between Kate Bush and The Knife albums but there is something both wonderfully retro and cutting edge about the nursery-rhyme like, simple electro beats.
Much of the album counjours up the seedier sides of early 1980s British New Wave as the dark danceable tracks would go down perfectly an after hours club dancefloor but the album is equally a perfect end-of-the-night background lounge listen.
The first part of the album passes you by as Darken Her Horse, Lose It and The Future all roll into one dreamlike track with Stalmanis’ haunting vocals but the pace changes with Beat and the Pulse, an onomatopoeic five minute minimalist track which sets the tone of unpredictability for the rest of the album.
Unlike the hordes of electronic outfits that have been churned out of the chart machines in the last few years, there is something refreshingly honest and surprisingly fresh about Austra.
Verdict: 4/5
FemaleFirst Antonia Charlesworth