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Album reviews Music

Fake Tears

Vancouver electro-pop duo Fake Tears kick off their debut album with You Want The Light, a song that immediately highlights their strongest attribute: Larissa Loyva and Elisha May Rembold’s glistening dual vocals gracefully wrapping around a haunting melody, without much more than some subtle synth pads to back them up. The rest of the album quickly moves into more traditional synth-pop arrangements, but the focus remains on their unique vocal interplay.

You get the sense that many of these songs could work just as well if you switched the keyboards and drum machines for acoustic guitars, although they would be harder to dance to. At times the retro beats and atmospheric vocals bring to mind Giorgio Moroder producing the Cocteau Twins, or maybe a less depressing Chromatics. Unfortunately some of the tones and rhythms feel more like early 00s electroclash than early 80s electro pop, and we’re not sure if anyone is ready to revive that era just yet. It’s a promising debut, but it sometimes feels stuck between deliberately under-produced and carefully polished, not committing quite enough to either.

Top track: You Want The Light

Fake Tears play the Holy Oak Cafe on Tuesday (September 15). 

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