17. Decoder Ring- Fractions



Decoder Ring came to prominence in Australia last year after capturing several awards for their soundtrack to the film Somersault. Fractions is their second album proper, follow up to their self titled debut from two years ago yet has more in common with the fractured pieces of the soundtrack.
The band has chosen for a wider variety of influences which all have an ambient edge, if you can call it like that; opener Jets is almost pulled from the New Order-book of 80s new wave-singles, then Serac is like diving into a cloud of synthesizer bliss, via Traffic, featuring Art Of Fighting's vocalist Ollie Brown in a Radiohead-like rock tune, 451 is darkwave with a funked out bassline to the title track which is almost a normal indie-tune with chugging guitars over a cheesy keyboardline. Lushly produced it's one that has immediate appeal to lovers of keyboard music as well as yer standard (indie-)pop fare. It's tough not to bury this one under hifalutin terms like 'ethereal' and 'shimmering' but in stages that's what Decoder Ring give you. Awesome album.