Shy Child - Liquid Love (Wall Of Sound) 15/03/10

It's hard to think it was just 2006 when New York duo Nate Smith and Pete Cafarella, aka Shy Child first captured interest in the UK with 'Noise Won't Stop'. With 'Liquid Love' it's pretty much certain we’re going to do that whole relationship all over again.
 
'Liquid Love' is a deceptively simplistic album. However, stripping back it's many layers of synth magic and glistening vocals and you start to sense the love and care put into this recording. This is clear from opening track 'Liquid Love' yet is driven home just by listening to 'Criss Cross', that's as evocative of outdated technology as it is the likes of Nine Inch Nails early work, to sense there's something quite special here.

Sadly track 'The Beatles' moves too close to the likes of Empire of The Sun; a unenviable position of boring music attracting assumed-rather-than-earned popularity. This might perhaps an appeal to some but enough to make this reviewer stop dead in his tracks. Luckily the situation recovers and the rest of the album is as much a fusion of cutting edge electro as it is a throw back to a variety of throw-back influences including Prince and Fleetwood Mac.

I can understand the appeal of this particular take on the 'NY sound' for British audiences. It's wholesome and uncomplicated; sleek and never in your face. In this ASBO-toting caffine addicted crazy modern world, Shy Child may not possess enough of the qualities necessary to capture the goldfish-attention-spans of some music ‘fans’ out there. But for everyone else who takes a bit of time to actually enjoy a record somewhere other than blaring out of a phone on an East London bus, this release will do just fine.