[rating=6.00]
In the dead of winter in 2013, Tanlines, a prolific synthpop duo from Brooklyn, decided to record its second album far from home, and make it sound better than the first one. Neither quite happened that way.
When the group’s laptop crashed before putting down a single note at guitarist Eric Emm’s childhood house in Pittsburgh, Tanlines abandoned its trove of lost samples and started from scratch, writing songs with what instruments they had. The sessions were short-lived. Days later, they recovered the missing work, packed up and drove back to New York.
For Highlights, which ended up taking two years to make, Emm and percussionist Jesse Cohen were determined to capture the essence of their live shows. In that sense, Highlights is more danceable than Mixed Emotions, the 2012 debut. But that doesn’t make it the better record. Mixed Emotions built clever, densely layered hip-hop beats that seemed to artfully collide with—rather than lurk beneath—many more layers of processed guitar effects and Emm’s distant, aching vocals. It was a striking slice of new New Wave, vaguely reminiscent of early Tears For Fears and Depeche Mode, yet much more throwback than copycat. The crisp, mathematical rhythms of “All of Me” and the heavy ambience of “Abby” recalled the ’80s, but pushed forward. Best of all, it was all homemade.
Highlights carries over many of these qualities but, for the most part, the band’s determination to “elevate the whole thing,” as Cohen told The Village Voice, comes off too polished. Many of the beats feel convulsive, overly charged and eagerly extroverted. Tanlines changed things up dramatically by securing an outside producer, Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear, and recording on a church balcony rather than in a basement with a computer. There’s much more going on here.
Among the better productions is “Bad Situations,” which is more than a passing flirtation with EDM and works so well only because the affair is so brief. Throughout, brittle percussive drops punctuate stark gaps, allowing bits of acoustic guitar sneak to the fore. Its bombast provides something of second act to “Two Thousand Miles,” a guttural throb of a love song earlier in the album that descends, eventually, into hi-hat sizzles and finger snaps.
Emm’s voice was eerier and more precious and potent on Mixed Emotions, when it wasn’t so naked and pushed to the front of the mix. He’s clearer now, maybe too crystal. “I fall to pieces when you’re away,” he sings on the catchy, up-tempo opener, “Pieces.” Songs of alienation and hopeless love don’t always make for dancing, but Tanlines hasn’t lost its ability to mix these emotions with electronic ease.
Tanlines didn’t need to elevate anything. The guys had already set the bar pretty high.
