Album Review: The Cinema - My Blood Is Full Of Airplanes

The love child of Lydia front man Leighton Antelman and the Arizona indie rockers' long time producer Matt Malpass, The Cinema bring a sound reminiscent of Owl City, through a side project comparable to that of Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard and producer Jimmy Tamborello with their work as The Postal Service. Combining floaty light synth with thrusting beats and Antelman's mesmerizing vocals, 'My Blood Is Full Of Airplanes' is far more than, as has been mentioned elsewhere, a rip off of Owl City (the irony being that many critics saw Adam Young's venture as riding the wave generated by The Postal Service and Death Cab.) No, it's better than that. Built on an endless electronic backdrop, The Cinema's universe is completed by Antelman's lyrical, and vocal sincerity which gleams through on every track.

Opener 'Satellites' is not simply an introduction to the record but a baptism, an induction into The Cinema's world. It sums up the band's sound, gives us an indication of things to come with it's anthemic, accelerating chorus. The album is brilliantly quotable, with almost every track possessing a line of interest, constantly provoking vivid imagery. 'The Wolf' ('I played the wolf, and left it to the sheep to figure out') and 'Say It Like You Mean It' ('I picture her in the street light, barefoot for the whole night').

A slight qualm rears it's head in the fact that by half-way through the record you're not really sure how many songs you've navigated your way through. The songs beginning to blur, a common ailment suffered by the garage pop, mac generated sounds associated with the genre.

But, individually, every song has it's merits and the remainder of the record holds as much quality as it's beginnings. 'Kinetic' has an energy, an excitable rhythm that manages to sit perfectly next to the more subtle, docile tones of 'She's On My Arm Now'.

The final, title track, serves as a beautiful comedown for an upbeat record, bringing to album to its conclusion in a softer, yet just as potent fashion.

It wont be to everybody's taste but, if you ever feel like giving the electronic indie-rock genre a go, you wouldn't go too far wrong with this.

4/5

'My Blood Is Full Of Airplanes' is out now.

Liam Mcgarry