Opening an album called Personal Computer with a clichéd robot voice sample isn’t a great way of kicking things off, but thankfully the music on Silicon’s debut quickly takes enough unexpected turns to lift it above the stereotypical electro-pop formula. The studio project of New Zealand’s Kody Nielson, Silicon brings together disco influences with 80s soft pop, indie rock and a playfully experimental approach to production. Whenever it starts to sound predictable, he takes things in a completely different direction.
The result is that the songs sound glossy and big, or deliberately under-produced and cheap – and often both at the same time. The eclectic quality of the songwriting keeps the surprises coming, but it also occasionally hampers the flow. He’s got a quirky melodic sensibility that can be sugary sweet one minute and then subtly off-kilter the next. While influenced by dance music, it’s not club music by any stretch. It’s often a little too wacky and silly for its own good, but overall Personal Computer is a fun collection of weirdo funk pop.
Top track: God Emoji
