The Ramona Flowers
Part Time Spies
Reviewed by: Ziggy Merritt
Mining the sights and sounds of the 1980s for nostalgia-inspired art continues to draw in a devoted audience no matter which form it takes. Whether it’s new albums from electronic musicians such as M83 and Neon Indian or the ongoing feverish fascination with the hit Netflix show, Stranger Things, the ’80s aesthetic holds its audience hopelessly captive. The debut album from synth fanatics, the Ramona Flowers likewise hopes with earnest intensity to draw in that same crowd yet makes the mistake of pulling out the big guns too early.
The album in question, Part Time Spies, is partly constructed of retro-wave inspired anthems, bringing to mind the work of the Valerie Collective of french new wave artists that cropped up in the wake of the Drive soundtrack. The other crucial element to their makeup comes in the amped-up stadium appeal that ’80s acts such as Duran Duran continue to enjoy. The result of that fusion is, at the start, a joyful indulgence in analog synths that begins with the first track “Dirty World” before quietly putting the frenetic pace to rest in the serene “Midnight Express.”
Each of these singles picks up on the same dream girl vibe of their namesake from the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels. Irresistible hooks along with production chops that might make the Human League jealous propel them forward even if the lyrics themselves don’t quite match the inspired exuberance. Of these, “Dirty World” immediately stands out with lush layers of glittering synths and vocals that match the intensity and the drama of the production.
The final half of the album is where much of that same fervor drops off. Tracks like “My Weirdo” with a falsetto that ventures on grating are thankfully brief but others such as “Sharks” and “Hurricane” sound manufactured, copying the same techniques as their predecessors. But none of this is unforgivable or phony. If anything the draw of the Ramona Flowers is the live experience rather than the detached format of these studio recordings. It’s also a reminder that many of the artists from the ’80s that we revere are best looked at through our rose-tinted nostalgia goggles. What this debut does best is set up the band as worthy successors to the neon throne of new wave superstardom.
Rating: Semi-obnoxious
