Aeroplane / ‘We Can’t Fly’
CD / Download
Wall of Sound / Released 27/9/2010
Dazzling keyboards and soaring synths break into an unfathomably positive melody. Like a montage in an 80s teen movie, it’s a short-lived moment of glory embodying the entire piece of work it belongs to.
And such is the opening to the debut album from Aeroplane, aka Vito Deluca. Formerly a two man show famed for remixes and DJ sets, people may be surprised by how insane the final long-player actually is. Yet, as with some of the our favourite lunatics in history, there’s genius at work too.
Take for example the huge strings and Santana style guitars of The Point Of No Return. Or, for that matter, the padded toms and seductive vocals that drive Without Lies‘ utterly addictive electronic workout. Both tackle their respective genres- classic rock and synth pop- with equal skill, and the results are pretty amazing, regardless of your feelings towards Fender-fuelled solos or The Eurythmics.
The lab of wacky sonic experiments doesn’t end its string of surprises there. No less entertaining is the Tina Turner inspired delivery of the rather impressive songstress Merry Clayton on I Don’t Feel. It wouldn’t sound out of place on Mad Max, while hearing it in a club would mean one part ear-to-ear grin, two parts disco dancing in the true meaning of the phrase. And perhaps the most successful vocal outing comes when Good Riddance rides in on its country-cum-rockabilly horse. Strange but true.
Diversions aside the LP is wholly dance influenced, if not dominated. It takes the experimental spirit of the spectrum to heart while retaining premium grade pop sensibilities, but more importantly it doesn’t take things too seriously. It’s difficult to believe the mid-90s house keys of Caramellas are played by the same hand as the downtempo pianos in closer We All Fall Down. But then this diversity, and the overwhelming production quality throughout, is proof that this particular hand is blessed with a quite extraordinary vision.
