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Album Review

Maps
Turning The Mind Mute Records

Article written by Ged M - Oct 29, 2009

Maps: Turning The Mind

The influence of bands like Spiritualized, Galaxie 500, My Bloody Valentine and Ride shone through We Can Create by Maps, aka James Chapman. He wrapped a shoegaze-inspired dreampop cloak around a skeleton of soaring melodies to produce a memorable debut album. His second album, though, is a darker sort of synthpop and is tougher listening. It’s not that there are fewer tunes: his songs tip the hat to the electropop of Vince Clarke and the Pet Shop Boys this time, and he’s always had a talent for planting euphoric melodies within the body of a song, but these songs are freighted with a heavier theme that makes them that bit harder to love.

The album’s title is inspired by a form of cognitive behavioural therapy, and the album deals with the effect on the mind of different stimuli, particularly chemical, to alter extreme mood. He claims that “you can change this state of mind” on the catchy synthpop of ‘I Dream of Crystal’ but the journey starts with strong emotions like anger and betrayal - “when you lie with him/ when you lie to him/ don’t contact me” (‘Nothing’) - and chemical medication is a frequent reference point. That’s a lot for a dance-oriented pop song to carry. His whispery singing too, while fine on the more ethereal shoegaze-oriented songs, has too little variety for all these tracks. There are some excellent tracks - the ultrapoppy ‘Everything Is Shattering’ and sumptuous ‘Without You’ - but for your own sanity I’d leave out a couple of the therapy sessions.

Links:
http://www.mapsmusic.com
http://www.mute.com
http://www.myspace.com/mapsmusic