With their sophomore album The Concretes have achieved the delicate balance of creating a different-sounding album while at the same time preserving the heart of their music. In Colour is an easy going album that just wants to have fun.
The song The Concretes are best known for, "Say Something New," off of their self-titled debut, was featured on a Target commercial. With its twangy guitars and layers of organ, tambourine and strings, the song evokes the delicately woven feeling of a Velvet Underground song, though with much less rock and roll. In contrast, the first song on In Colour very clearly presents a new, clean sound and a decidedly poppy tone that pervades the album.
But despite this shift, the album contains the same sort of happy-sad songs as the previous one, and lead singer Victoria Bergsman's voice is as invitingly warbling as ever. Even in the song titled "Grey Day," despite lyrics with darker notes, the sunny overtones are maintained. In Colour was written for spring days in the park, and for those not afraid of the occasional cheesy saxophone.
"Fiction" is another one of the more enjoyable tracks, with dreamy guitars and a light footed beat, though it might go on for a little too long. Some slower songs like "Tomorrow" are echo-y, dreamy 70s ballads, at times reminiscent of groups like The Carpenters. In a few places the song writing is a little weak, but over all the songs listen easily like a warm April breeze. Flirtatious and often a little melancholy, In Colour is a good bet for your spring playlist.
