One Track Mind

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

[ download ]

Back in January, Old Flame Records released Replicants, the debut full-length from Florida’s MillionYoung. Replicants is a thirteen track collection of synth-pop filtered through a chillwave lens–think Toro Y Moi and Washed Out having a rendezvous with Soft Cell and The Human League.

On the album’s title track, that’s even more fun than it sounds; from its opening synthesizer revved-up launch sequence through its plucky, upper register melodies, “Replicants” is bubbly and carefree. Even though Mike Diaz builds a chorus around the lament, “Oh, I’m never gonna find another love like yours again,” it sounds more nostalgic than bemoaned, especially when pitched against the vibrant synthetic musical landscape. There is a hint of sadness to the breakdown near the 2:45 mark but it is fleeting–almost as though the song can’t quite manage to shake its own optimism.

MillionYoung manages to sound both of the moment (fitting in nicely alongside Cut Copy and Neon Indian on your playlist) and decidedly retro. While there is a little something to be desired on the originality front, “Replicants” is so thoughtfully composed that it never feels like a rehash. Instead, it delivers everything you could want from an electronic pop tune: it’s danceable yet intelligently packaged, and just as importantly, it’s easy to listen to again and again.