(Capitol/EMI)

In 2002 Fischerspooner released their debut album, #1, to much hype and critical acclaim, not least NME calling it “the best thing to happen to music since electricity”.  So, after that, how did they manage to make and release a second album?

Not surprisingly, it wasn’t an easy task for the pair.  Taking over two years and stretching the pair to their physical and creative breaking point, Odyssey was named after the emotional and artistic journey it took to make it.  Moving forward from the predominantly electronic work that was #1, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner instead wanted to create a cohesive album of songs that were more expressive and emotional; aiming for a rich, warm sound reminiscent of the songs they heard on the radio as kids in the seventies. 

The album opens with the pulsing electronic sounds of Just Let Go, which is also its first single.  Essentially an electropop track, the sound however reminds me more so of acts such as Franz Ferdinand, rather than proper dance acts.  The following track, Cloud, features judicious use of electronic sound effects, but it’s heavily layered and suffused with a warmth reminiscent of old seventies rock.  This is followed by Never Win, a luscious piece of cabaret, which combines strident vocals and nu-wave style melodies. 

A guitar instrumental introduces the next track, A Kick In The Teeth.  The song has a very warm and organic feel to it, which leads me even to draw comparisons to the symphonic pop outfit Polyphonic Spree.  On Everything To Gain the album returns to a slightly more electronic feel, with its profuse use of keyboards.  This is followed by We Need A War, a more lyrics based song that doesn’t really grab me that much.  In contrast, the vocals are less important on the more upbeat and electronic Wednesday, its beats driving the song.

Happy combines nu-wave sounds and strong beats, echoes mysteriously hinting at being recorded in a large space.  The album takes a downbeat turn on Ritz 107, with its atmospheric vocals and beats possessing a lullaby-like quality.  This restrained mood continues on All We Are, which heavily features strings and piano, expressing sweet sentiments of togetherness.  With Circle (Vision Creation New Sun) the album makes a full circle, returning to the same pulsing sounds that started the album.  The track builds up slowly in intensity, dropping out then rebuilding itself on this epic finale.

With Odyssey, Fischerspooner have shown that they have the potential to be a credible band, not just an act that disappears after a single much hyped album.  Melding together influences ranging from modern electronic music to 80s nu-wave to classic 70s rock, Odyssey is an album of first class electronic pop songs.