Everytime I think I’ve lost interest in electro pop, a band like Parallels comes along and sucks me back into a world where perfect beats and sweeping synths rule supreme. There’s such a difference between good electronic dance music and bad, and there seems to be little in between. Then there’s the dichotomy between the old school (analog) and new school (digital), and of course those in favor of using vocal effects and those in favor of the real thing.  The point at which these separate but related styles (never) intersect is Parallels‘ Visionaries; it is a divinely fresh fusion of old and new. Fans of Depeche Mode will rejoice in the usage of vintage synths by Cameron Findlay, former drummer of the ultra hip Crystal Castles. Lovers of Cyndi Lauper, old school Madonna, and School of Seven Bells will be delighted by Holly Dodson’s girlish, sparkling vocals. But despite the fact that the group sounds just as polished as the countless other electro pop groups, their album is not populated by happy-go-lucky beeps and boops or sappy lyrics that tend to elicit groans. Parallels coaxed me into the dark as frequently as they lead me into the light, leaving me pondering the simultaneous urge to suss out the song’s meaning and just dance it all out. It was confusing, but in a rather glorious way.

 

I was first hooked by the fat, wavering bass line and hard-hitting drum sounds of ‘Find the Fire’. Holly’s crystalline vocals are filled with conviction and emotion, complimented by an echoing bell part that rings on into silence once the song is over. ‘Ultralight’ is pure disco (see music video below): full of syncopated synth sounds and the ever-present sixteenth notes tapped out on the cymbals. I couldn’t get the devilish chorus out of my head:

Ooh tell me are you falling for me

I release my hands, and I’ll let you go

Electric lights are shining in me

I was falling in before I let you go

I usually desest vocal effects like vocoders, but there’s something about the way it combines with the ominous bass and bell parts of ‘Dried Blood’ and hyphy synths of ‘Magnetics’ that made me rethink my stance. ‘Nightmares’ was chilling, which I suppose is apropos for the title. The lyrics are far more Thriller than electro pop:

To a mirror, a mistake

Endings no escape

The taste of blood in my mouth

A knife hanging from above

‘Vienna’ was my favorite track out of the twelve, but it was so hard to choose. The constant yet subdued drum part at the beginning is pure sex, and the addition of pulsing  distorted synth textures add that much-needed meat to the middle of the song between the sky-high vocals and the kind of bass you can feel in the pit of your stomach. They close the album with ‘All We’ll Ever Know’, a midtempo ebb and flow of synths and echoing vocals that is dreamy bordering on trance-inducing. When the music stops, it’s impossible not to still hear the shadow of the relentless bass drum, urging you to continue listening. That’s the true beauty of this record: Visionaries will keep you going for hours on end, whether you’re at the gym, stuck in traffic, or pregaming for a party or bar outing. This is the music that they should be playing in dance clubs, daring you to try and keep up.

Visionaries is now available on iTunes. For all you vinyl junkies, the physical record is available as well in either black or clear blue (shown above). It also comes with a digital download of the album and is available for purchase here. Parallels will be performing Sunday, October 31st at The Raleigh Hotel in Miami. For more information about their upcoming tour dates, click here.

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