Cicada - Cicada (Self Titled) Album Review

Cicada confidently straddle the credible/ cheese divide in the same way that Pnau, Linus Loves and Milo do, and for fans of these blokey knob twiddlers, this eponymous album will be a pleasing addition to your collection. Others however (myself included) might wonder exactly where this fits in, being too commercial for the underground and too underground for the mainstream. The production values are tip top, verging on over the top, as the glossy varnish that coats even the rougher sounds can feel a little suffocating, drowning in its own rich gloop. 

Album opener Edge, with its synthesized electric guitar riff, captures perfectly the imaginary yacht-rock goes house, 1980s coked-up Miami Vice vibe, and that fine decade permeates the album (in a good way). Less effective are the saccharine white female vocals, reminiscent of Kylie or any other number of 'podium singers'. At least it's not Kirsty 'Opus 3' Hawkshaw though - surely the Dave Edmunds of dance - she gets everywhere even though she's rubbish. Isn't house music is always better off with a black diva belting it out, or a Deep Dish, Stranded -style, slightly odd, shouldn't work but does type voice? To conclude, if you don't mind some tracks with wispy vocals, like melodic dance and overblown production combined with lovingly crafted arrangements and an updated slant on the eighties, this is the album for you.

Duncan Clark