Fan Death - Womb Of Dreams Album Review

Formed in 2007 in New York, the duo that is Fan Death are now based in Vancouver and have three other releases in their catalogue. They've shared stages with Florence And The Machine, Franz Ferdinand and more recently Vampire Weekend, as well remixing Ladyhawke and Frankmusik amongst others.

While the orchestral sound of opener 'The Constellations' is pleasant enough, it is something of a red-herring for the delightful disco to come, lacking the infectious beats that are the heart of most of the record. Unlike much of modern dance a feeling of soul emanates from the likes of 'Veronica's Veil', which also contains brilliant hooks, as well as the dramatic highlights 'Phantom Sensation' and 'When The Money's Right'. These songs demonstrate Fan Death's intelligent use of synths and could trouble many a dance floor, as would the sultry 'Reunited' that utilises brass for an arms-in-the-air feeling. It only fails marginally to match the anthemic nature of 'The Best Night', whilst 'Almost There' proves a worthy conclusion in its own hypnotic way. The result is an album to be admired and that will most certainly have more longevity than most current chart music.

Alex Lai