Cut Copy's pre-release single "Free Your Mind" has been on repeat
since its release on the 11th of October. It has a similar effect on the
listener, as Primal Scream's "Come Together", and "Loaded".
Primal Scream's love for acid house and alternative dance sprouted out of
Manchester, which was, at the time, the hub of music - the second summer of
love. John Cale produced Happy Monday's debut album Squirrel and G-Man
Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), and
John Leckie on The Stone Roses eponymous album. Two well known producers,
creating a vibe, a sound that's been taken and worn out, stitched back
together, and placed in the history books since 1987. The wave of popular
alternative dance and acid house was born in Manchester, and taken to Glasgow
in 1991 for Screamadelica. Why does this matter? you ask. It matters
more than you could ever imagine - Jagwar Ma, Django Django, and Hot Chip can back me up on this. Artists have taken this sound formed during the praised
'madchester' period, and used it to their advantage, from Chicago, to Glasgow,
to London, to Sydney, and to Melbourne. This music takes us on a journey, much
like the proclaimed journey of the psychedelic drugs LSD and MDMA. Cut Copy are
the latest artist to pop up with a 87' - 91' influenced sound reminiscent of
those Screamadelica album tracks taken from the psychedelic 60s à la The
13th Floor Elevators. With Free Your Mind, it begins at 0:00 and never fails to
entertain and bring the listener back till the album is over. The 20 second
synthesizer sample saying: "Free your mind, free your mind,"
is enough to realise what this album details. It's the coolness of a sunset
stroll, enjoying the natural aspects of life with great music playing.
Titular single "Free Your Mind" energises and defines Cut
Copy's fourth studio album. Vocalist Dan Whitford has never had the strongest of
vocals, but when multi-layered with synthesizer swoops and loud, gospel-esque
piano stabs, his voice becomes something of an attraction. There’s little depth
in Whitford's singing as such, but with "Free Your Mind", the music
behind him is enough to tell the audience what he, Cut Copy, and Free Your
Mind is all about. Its been produced by famed Lips and Rev producer Dave
Fridmann, to add that psychedelia imagery and texture to Cut Copy's sound.
Fridmann has spotted weaknesses in Cut Copy's sound and decided to patch them
up with the same instruments that earned Primal Scream the first Mercury Prize
in 1992. To follow this up - "We Are Explorers". The third track
completely avenges LCD Soundsystem and James Murphy's retirement of that
project. Cut Copy are using their synthesizers, lighter and heavier than usual,
to create a trance-like sound that's both perfect for late night listening, and
party dance music. And Cut Copy continue to progress their sound and future
with a house track in the shape of "Let Me Show You". It has the
synthesizer note riff powerful enough to come across as a post-1980 Suicide
riff, with Whitford's reverberated vocals akin to Alan Vega. This is the first
splash of Free Your Mind Cut Copy fans would have been heard, and the
structure, direction, and total control of the track shows a certain dignity
and conformation that the Australian quartet are not afraid to upset even their
longest of supporters to follow the music they love.
90 seconds of "Into The Desert" is enough to confuse the listener
into believing this is actually Cut Copy's composition and not one of Brian
Eno's back catalogue. The twinkling sounds that represent waves and rain
drops are very much alike Balam Acab. It plays in to "Footsteps", the
four and half minute 90s euro dance club anthem. It's reminiscent of the
rave scenes from The Hacienda in Manchester. There’s a great synthesizer
flanger riff, with the hard hitting squishy bass found on the old Chicago acid
house recordings that were created with a Roland TB-303. Cut Copy are very much
playing to the 80s / 90s kid with Free Your Mind. It's not all pure
baggy / madchester music, as "In Memory Capsule" takes listeners back
to Cut Copy's earlier days.
It's the vocal cuts, such as on "Into The Desert" and "Above
The City" are samples from movies, to which, I don't know. They act as
breaks, interludes, crossovers / skits for the more defining tracks. "Dark Corners Mountain Tops" is one of the standout tracks on Free Your Mind.
It's the first sign of a drum kit focussing in, with an acoustic guitar and a
pretty progression, which you would expect a music video of slow moving vehicles
to be associated with it. There are still the general synthesizers and samples,
such as the siren which runs through the background. This reminds me of an
early M83, taking guitars and reverb to create electronic rock influenced by
both shoegaze and glamorous ambient sounds. "Dark Corners Mountain
Tops" is out of character for Cut Copy, it's a track nobody was expecting,
first for the live drum kit percussion, and second for the harmonics most akin to
The Beach Boys.
Free Your Mind is the rightful follow-up to Primal Scream's Screamadelica.
Cut Copy are taking in all aspects of sound and influences, using their
knowledge with three fabulous electronic albums to create what is essentially
an acid house / alternative dance masterpiece. "Take Me Higher" is a
nod to Primal Scream's "Higher Than The Sun", and least likely, but
perhaps a sly nod to Sly & The Family Stone's psychedelic soul single
"I Wanna Take You Higher". It's another banger, featuring on an album
with no filler, only killer dance tunes for those wanting a break from their
lives. The clear piano riff comes back, with effect, really emphasising the
instruments use alongside psychedelic reverberated synthesizers and layered
vocals. Where the classic house instrumentals were profusely minimal, Cut Copy does
the opposite with Free Your Mind. They're maxed out on every track, even
the segues are plastered with openings and closings of tracks. Perhaps the
biggest and most historic fused track on Free Your Mind is the 10th
track "Meet Me In A House of Love". Apart from its artistic title;
the musical content blows the concept out in the open. Whitford sings: "Once
I was lost, but in this house I can be found," a coy pun towards
the genre they're emulating, and the album title - Free Your Mind. After
all, this is what it's all about. Cut Copy are attempting to open our minds
through the medium of music, allowing us to interpret their music in any way we
see possible. That's the feeling transmitted with these back album tracks,
especially on the penultimate track which is the essential closer "Walking In The Sky". Again, Whitford sings a lyric closely related to the albums
concept: "You've got to live your life today, tomorrow is a world
away." An uplifting closer to complete a set of songs which all
point to space rock themes. "Walking In The Sky", "Above The
City", "Free Your Mind", "Take Me Higher" - they're
all pointing upwards, towards the heavens ("Movin' On Up",
"Higher Than The Sun", "Shine Like Stars".) Cut Copy's Free
Your Mind is as religiously inclined and directed at a greater being, as
Spiritualized in 1997. And nobody can miss the blatant Primal Scream / The 13th
Floor Elevators references throughout this album, especially on "Meet Me
In A House of love" ("Slip Inside This House").
Free Your Mind is made up of nine key bulky tracks, all of which are
superb and memorable. The five interludes / outros are integral to the overall
feel and flow of Cut Copy's fourth album. Without them, it would just be a
compilation of alternative dance recordings. It's these tracks featuring vocal
samples like "Mantra" and "Above The City" that completes
the picture. Free Your Mind isn't quite flawless of course. There are
elements on "Let Me Show You Love" that Cut Copy maybe could have
done without, such as the opening siren sounds which are recurring in this
track. Then there are the synthesizer stabs, which at times sound more like 00s
trance than 80s / 90s house. It's always difficult to pull off an album so
blatantly taken from previous albums and eras. Allah-Las tried to release a
surf rock album influenced by the simple west coast 60s, the outcome was poor.
Jake Bugg attempted to re-create a Dylan / Oasis fused album, which also came
out poor. Cut Copy needed to add their own plaque, in order for this album to
come across more than just a cut and paste copy. It's actually Whitford's
vocals that put Free Your Mind on the board as one of 2013's best
albums. Cut Copy are thinking above and beyond with Free Your Mind, they
needed to advance their sound and not be stuck behind a bridge after their last
two efforts were received with unlimited praise. Long-time fans of Cut Copy
might not like this, they might not even get this; that's all for their minds
to accept or dismiss. Having cited Screamadelica as one of our (MRD)
favourite albums, it's no wonder that Free Your Mind is sticking.
They've broken a 2013 gimmick, and at the same time taken the aging sound of
house and sprayed an array of freshener over it. The self-titled track is
nothing short of genius, and "Take Me Higher" may just be the
best Cut Copy track to date. Free Your Mind is another example at how a band
can create an era, a sound, an idea - like Bobby Gillespie and his posse in the
90s. The concept, may not be an outspoken one, but it's intentional. Cut Copy,
having played the genre for a decade, are freeing up their choices and
direction, and at the same time are teaching audiences to… - Free Your Mind,
as the album cover so blatantly shows.
~Eddie Gibson
9.2
9.2
Originally posted by Eddie on The National Student.
