San Francisco – Sophomore albums are tricky. There’s an old saying in the music industry about having twenty years to write your first album and only about two to write every following release. That’s a lot of pressure, and artists no doubt question every step of the creative process on follow-up records: should the music stick to the same sonic territory that has already been established? If it branches out, how is that achieved and what’s the next step? Will fans be turned off if the creative leap is too dramatic?
I’m sure all of these questions were racing through the heads of Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme, the duo comprising Painted Palms, while working on their sophomore effort Horizons. I also think the San Francisco based electro-pop outfit made a conscious decision to answer “yes” to that first question, because the album steadfastly continues the basic song formula established on their fantastic debut Forever: start with a catchy vocal melody, back that with a driving beat, then layer it all with swirling synths, quirky electronic effects and soaring backing harmonies. It’s a winning formula to be sure, one that hits hard enough for the rockers while containing enough of a pop sensibility for everyone else just looking to dance.
In this sense, Horizons is not so much an evolutionary leap as a lateral hop forward. Tracks like the thumping opener “Refractor” and hypnotic “Waterfall” are just as gripping as anything on their last record, albeit with more polished production values this time around: crisper beats, cleaner vocals, tighter arrangements. They draw melodies from the Beatles and Stone Roses (traces of the “Taxman” melody can be heard on their song “Control”), but their creations are genuine products of the Digital Age. There are a few hints of musical exploration, such as the quasi-reggae vibe of “Echoes” or the atmospheric ballad “Painkiller,” but most of the tunes follow the previously perfected pattern.
It’s clear that Painted Palms figured out how to construct exquisite pop songs early and are comfortable sticking to what has already worked for them. Their albums contain no filler and they are entertaining from start to finish. But fans looking for something new may be disappointed as they hear more of the same on Horizons. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the same means some more enticing pop songs. The same, however, can quickly become the same – even a good thing can become dulled through repetition.
It will be interesting to see how Painted Palms builds on the success of Horizons. Looking to their musical peers, there are a few paths they can take. They can make strong but disappointingly similar albums like Passion Pit and underwhelm with each successive release. They can alienate fans by ditching their original sound like MGMT, make a masterpiece in the process, but lose a great chunk of that early popularity. Or they can carve out a middle path, find that elusive balance between fan-pleaser and boundary-pushing artist. Either way, the future looks bright for Painted Palms. It’s up to them to determine how bright it can get.
More information on Painted Palms and their new record released by Polyvinyl can be found here.
Nick Schneider
Latest posts by Nick Schneider (see all)
- FIDLAR Provides the Soundtrack to Another Lost Generation on New LP “Too” - September 1, 2015
- Painted Palms Perfect The Pop Song On New LP Horizons - August 20, 2015
- Kat Robichaud: Born With The Gift Of A Golden Voice - August 10, 2015
Pingback: Painted Palms Previews New Material In San Francisco - Best New Bands