Album of the Week: Closure in Moscow - Pink Lemonade

     I'm fairly certain that if you've gotten this far with me, you've got a relatively open musical mind. If I'm correct in that conclusion, then this week's album will hopefully be right up your alley.

     I've written about Australia post-hardcore-meets-prog band Closure in Moscow several times in the past, featuring songs from their last couple of albums. Their latest, Pink Lemonade, presents something of a challenge to their established fanbase.

     You see, the first two Closure in Moscow albums were, like I said, post-hardcore-ish affairs, tinged with whiffs of other, proggier stuff that elevated them above mere post-hardcore-ism. First Temple, especially, is a great album no matter what genre label you want to put on it. But with Pink Lemonade the boys went full space-prog funk-pop and crafted something fans might not necessarily have expected -- or wanted -- as a follow-up to First Temple.

     But fear not. If you've got the kind of open musical mind I was talking about up top, there's every chance you'll be happy as a clam with Pink Lemonade, another kick-ass Closure in Moscow record now matter how you genre-fy it, and sure to end up on at least a couple year end best of lists. Spin it and see what you think.

Monday: Closure in Moscow - Neoprene Byzantine

     My long-awaited pre-order copy of Closure in Moscow's latest, Pink Lemonade, has finally emerged from the land down under and landed in my mailbox. Fans looking for more in the vein of debut LP First Temple might be a little disappointed, but fans just looking for something fun and different may just have their record for the summer.

     While the latter (ie: First Temple) was a well-crafted slice of melodic post-hardcore/post-rock with some proggy twists and turns here and there, the former (the new Pink Lemonade) is an altogether funkier beast, melding energetic space rock with pornolicious grooves that would be at home in a 70's skin flick.

     It doesn't hurt that vocalist Christopher de Cinque can a) boast a range and tone not unlike Cedric from The Mars Volta, and b) turn a phrase or two. Take today's song: "Neoprene Byzantine" is just a fun pair of words to say, even when not married to some seriously funky rock. Check it out and marvel at how far these guys have come.

Sunday: Closure in Moscow - A Night at the Spleen

     Almost...there...

     For our last catch-up song,we're going with "A Night at the Spleen" from Closure in Moscow's 2009 LP First Temple. In addition to thinking you should all know about this band, I'm also hoping that featuring another song of theirs will somehow send a karmic ripple through the fabric of the universe that by some strange twist of fate speeds along the final stages of mixing and mastering on their forthcoming record Pink Lemonade so they can finally release the damn thing!

     Things look like they're nearing completion on the band's Facebook, but I want to hear the record already. For the time being I guess we'll all just have to be content with something off First Temple, but those Aussie boys better hop to it -- the suspense is killing me.

Song of the Day: Closure in Moscow - Vanguard

     I've written about Australians Closure in Moscow before, but a) it's been a while b) they're cool and c) I need something with an M in it, because it's...

Song of the Day: Closure In Moscow - Kissing Cousins

     Yesterday when I was writing about Thank You Scientist and trying (somewhat vainly) to come up with some way to describe their sound, I mentioned a band called Closure in Moscow. Checking my records (yes, I do keep records) I see that I haven't done a Song of the Day for them yet, and since they're the kind of band that I don't imagine too many of you are into, I figure they could use a day in the spotlight.