By admin
Heavily inspired by the classic 80s synth pop, The Runaway Club introduce a refreshing twist to the genre –appealing for lovers of heavy synth music alongside those who (like me) can take it or leave it. There’s something different about The Runaway Club, they don’t comfortably conform to any genre and often incorporate a whole host of techniques to create their songs. They can easily be compared to bands such as Prides or Two Door Cinema Club but could also be considered similar to others like Daughter, particularly lyrically, or even The Wombats. They have the ability to sound both familiar and invigorating at the same time, a quality even some of the best musicians lack.
The Runaway Club offer something unique and different, the energetic and upbeat music is often juxtaposed by the surprisingly deep and dark lyrics. They’re self titled album was received well by fans, their infectious beats clearly retained from their previous work. There are a multitude of highlights within the self titled album that each get increasingly more memorable the more they’re listened to.
‘Good Together’, one of the fastest songs on the album, is a personal highlight predominantly for the incredibly clever lyrics and featuring an eerily fitting conversation between Ross Geller and Rachel Green from an early episode of Friends midway through the song. Whilst not entirely unique to have snippets from television shows I’ve never heard it executed so skilfully, not only does it fit the theme of the song but unexpectedly matches the tempo too. ‘Good Together’ encapsulates the troubled relationship perfectly; an almost satirical approach to the typical love song. Accompanied by a solid beat throughout it creates an infuriatingly catchy song, one that would effortlessly go down a storm live.
Equally, ‘Runaway’ follows the formula of profound lyrics with the jaunty tempo, brimming with the typical angst and rebellion indie tracks have become synonymous with. However not all the tracks rely on a quick pace to create an enjoyable album. ‘I Could Pretend’ creates a welcome break from the fast pace featured in the songs aforementioned whilst keeping the familiar lyric pattern. ‘Elevator’ is possibly the most noticeably synth pop track on the album, remarkably made with a synth brought from a garage sale for only $30 (around £15).
The Runaway Club is an interesting album, a rare combination of catchy songs that never become annoying. Unlike most, I can constantly find myself listening to this album without getting bored or finding the need to skip a song that comes on shuffle. The 80s synth pop the band are frequently compared to is known for producing songs with banal, repeated themes and music – but The Runaway Club breathe a needed breath of freshness into this and create some truly brilliant songs. With a new album hinted to be coming this Spring, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them make some real progress in becoming a well established band with an even larger fan base this year.
