CD Reviews

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour | Out of Frequency

BMG Rights (2012)

By MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER | January 31, 2012

2.5 Stars

Getting a boost with songs from their 2009 debut, Fruit, featured in iPod and Heineken ads, and getting handpicked as concert openers by a then-still-functioning Amy Winehouse in their native Copenhagen, the Asteroids Galaxy Tour rode a lucky streak out of the gate. The second time around is never as easy, though this genre-bending dance-pop collective drop soul, funk, and jazz like a Danish Bayou brass band on "Major," "Dollars in the Night," and a made-for-the-dance floor stunner "Ghost in My Head." On the latter, singer Mette Lindberg channels "Like a Feather"-era Nikka Costa. When it works, the results are devastating. Check the line "You got me head over heels on gasoline/You know how it feels, like nic-o-tine" from lead single "Heart Attack." Who cares what the hell it means, it's ridic-contagious. But sometimes Out of Frequency wavers into old-school television-theme-song territory, like a ramped-up take on M Squad or some bad dating show at the turn of the '80s. And at points, Lindberg's voice has a tendency to wear thin and sound childlike —think bad Jackson 5. No matter: there's still enough beguilement here — no need to sell us with commercials.

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Nite Jewel | One Second of Love
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Two summers ago, a number of glo-fi buzz bands surfed trendy chillwaves around the blogosphere, reaching mild popularity amongst fans of subtle, retro dance beats and laid-back vibes.
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Active Child | You Are All I See
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