A few weeks ago I got the latest album from Information Society. I got my copy from A Different Drum.
The band is back together, with Paul Robb once again at the helm. Former lead singer Kurt Harland has decided against rejoining, though, and I was skeptical about the new vocalist, Christopher Anton.
After listening through the CD a few times I'm now totally on board with the new vocalist. His singing style is actually very similar to Kurt's, and I think most people who hear these new InSoc songs will instantly recognize them as such.
Here's how the songs shake out:
1. Baby Just Wants--The first song on the album sounds like it would be right at home on Hack, Information Society's second album. It's got a catchy, funky beat. But I preferred InSoc's first album, so that's not a great compliment from me. Still, it's entertaining enough. 3 stars
2. Back in the Day--When I saw the track listing for this CD on A Different Drum's website and saw the title of this song I rolled my eyes, thinking "How cheesy." I just cringe when I hear that phrase "Back in the Day." Despite that, after hearing the song once, I was hooked. This is the highlight of the CD and ranks right up there with InSoc's best work. Again it's catchy and dance-able (for people who like that kind of thing), but it's also got a cool enough vibe for cool people like me. 5 stars
3. I Like the Way You Werk It--Another song that could have been lifted right off Hack. The chorus has a great hook "I, I, I like the way you werk it" will be stuck in your head for days. I could swear it's Kurt Harland singing the chorus on this one, but the liner notes say otherwise. 4 stars
4. Run Away--This is a slower song that features a duet with a female vocalist. It's a pretty song, and the female singer actually does a really good job. 3 stars
5. Free--A cool song with a great beat. The lyrics are very rhymey (if that's a word). 4 stars
6. I Love It When...--This seems like an experimental-type song, reminding me a bit of "A Knife & A Fork" from Hack, but with one big exception: the chorus is really cool. 3 stars
7. More to This--A very solid song. Christopher Anton must have studied Kurt Harland method of delivery, because even though his voice isn't just like Harland's it still screams Information Society when I hear it. Good song. 4 stars
8. Somnambulistic--Next we get another highlight of the album. Somnambulistic has great lyrics and a very memorable tune. Awesome song. 5 stars
9. Burning Bridges--This one has some funny lyrics (I think they're intentionally funny). For example "Life is like a velvet hammer knocking on my head." Good beat. 3 stars
10. Can't Get Enough--Another catchy song. 3 stars
11. This Way Tonight--Catchy song, but I don't approve of the message the lyrics are sending (if I'm understanding them correctly) 2 stars
12. Synthesizer--Another highlight of the CD, and probably my favorite new Information Society song. True to its name, this song is a prototypical synthpop song, exhibiting all the qualities that I love about the genre. Creative lyrics, cool and catchy synths, good beat. Easily 5 stars
13. The Seeds of Pain--The final song on the album starts off with a slow build up, but after 1:20 it finally gets going. InSoc gives us a nice surprise in this song: Kurt Harland does the vocals for this last song! The song overall doesn't impress me much, but the chorus is fantastic and makes the song worthwhile. 3 stars
Information Society really is back. Let's hope they stick around and keep contributing great synthpop.
