Dappled Cities
Lake Air
Reviewed on 1 August 2012
Rated 7 out of 10
Key Track: Key Track: Run With The Wind
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It’s good seeing a band reach their true potential, and after fifteen years of existence, indie rockers Dappled Cities were certainly going to reach this point sooner rather than later.
Their fourth full-length release, Lake Air, is rife with perfect production, solid, catchy tracks and a sound that tells the fans ‘this is what we’ve grown to be’.
The opening track and main single of the release, “Run With The Wind”, is one that can be loved by many. Combining layers of synthesizers, unique vocal and instrumental digital delay effects and unorthodox composition, it truly shows what Dappled Cities is great for – individuality.
The overall feel for the album is poppier than their previous work, with songs such as “Born At The Right Time” and “Real Love” having that Bowie-styled pop sound. While these songs could be seen as filler from those captivated and enthused by the energetic opener, there’s still no doubt that they hold their own to surrounding songs.
One of the most respectable things about Dappled Cities is that after such a long time, their lyrics have only gotten more adventurous and intriguing, as though they have an infinite amount of life experiences to write about.
Lyrically, the album has a varied range of depth, such as “Born at the Right Time”‘s straight to the point “Don’t let old dreams get you down/ because it’s so much better now“; or lines that spark intrigue, such as “Run with the Wind”‘s “we climb mountains to be millionaires/and time bombs to blow on the backs of bears.”
It sounds like this is the album that Dappled Cities wanted to make. They know they have their fanbase, slowly accumulated over the years, right by their side, and no release would be able to shoo them away. Lake Air may bring mixed emotions at first, but it’s a release that will be loved more as it grows older.
- Tom Gaffney
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