Inspired by a time where big hair, bright colors and questionable fashion choices made their way into photographs that would be deeply hidden today, the music group Memoryy debuted Electric City. On the cover, they notify listeners, “An album set in 1983 but written for 2013.” Through their use of electric guitars, backing vocals and of course, what would an ‘80s influenced record be without a synthesizer? Memoryy produce a vibrant, pop-driven, five-song disc to take us back in time. Due to its vintage feel and saxophone elements, fans of Lady Gaga, Pat Benatar and Duran Duran will most likely gravitate towards Electric City.
The opening track, “Someone Not You,” includes pounding basslines, airy synthesizers and the dance-inducing repetitive chorus, “I cannot wait to fall in love with someone else/I cannot wait to fall to pieces over someone not you.” It’s fun and easy to groove to if you have your knee-high socks ready, but the record as a whole can come across as a bit superficial. With five band members and help from six other musicians, this 20-minute release is all about the instruments and production with little, if any, focus on lyrical messages. The strong aspects of Electric City are the crisp production value and the cohesiveness of a wide range of instruments, vocal harmonies and musical influences. One minute you’ll hear African drumbeats, then there’s a saxophone solo and suddenly it sounds like a spaceship is landing on Earth. With so many elements being thrown into each song, Memoryy efficiently made them come together in a collective and systematic way.
In A Word: ‘80s
