Electro indie rockers the Lost Valentinos are back! Hot on the heels of their appearance at Splendour In the Grass, and having worked with producer and remixer extrodinarie Ewan Pearson on their long-awaited new album Cities Of Gold, it’s looking like the release is bound for success. Or perhaps not?

While not typically what could have been expected from Ewan Pearson, who has produced albums with The Rapture and Ladytron and also has an amazing list of original and remix work under his belt, the production here lacks a lot of that ‘punch’ that Pearson’s productions are famous for. At times it could almost be swallowed by what seems to be an almost depressive tone, largely due to Nik Yiannikas’ somber vocals, which at times take hold very strongly on this LP. Ultimately though, this is still a Lost Valentinos work, and therefore it’s not surprising the band would have wanted to retain their dominant influences, in spite of having Pearson on board, so it sounds like they avoided letting him take too much musical control. Possibly in fear of upsetting their hungry and devoted legion of fans! Nonetheless, there’s plenty of experimentation still present on Cities of Gold

With the indie/dance scene continues to grow by the weekend, the release of Cities Of Gold release comes at the perfect time. The dark moody dance feel dominates this album, and kicks straight off with Midnights, which shows the group hitting their form, with what could be possibly the album’s biggest crossover hit . The mood picks up a little from here, with the title track somewhat more optimistic lyrically, which is reflected in the pace of the tune. This is again mirrored in Serio, which almost has a taste of the Underworld to it (think Two Months Off), before falling into a dark place with Between the Squalls, which is perhaps the least vocal-driven and most experimental track. This then carries on the darker momentum, largely dominating the latter half of the album.

Overall the album is quite heavy and dark at times, however it wonds things up with perhaps the finest two tracks. Happiness Made Easy sounds as if Nik Yiannikas has been channeling Sting, in an amazing and eerie end to the LP.

A more than solid effort from the Sydney quartet. It’s difficult to place exactly where these guys fall, and the same can be said for Cities of Gold. Possibly indie dancefloor, but more likely sobering indie. Perhaps the answer lays hidden in the title, suggesting a reference to some lost and mysterious civilisation. However, the guitar soundscapes, electro swirlings and of course Yiannikas’ vocals, all help deliver a worthy effort. With a mood altering influence that’s carefully cut and sometimes ghostly feeling, the Lost Valentinos have chosen the challenging route.