The Radio Dept.: Clinging To A Scheme (2010)

New Wax


After years of rescheduling and delays, Swedish dream-pop heavyweights The Radio Dept. are finally set to release their third full-length album entitled Clinging To A Scheme in March via Labrador. It's been four years since Pet Grief, which peaked at #11 on the Swedish charts and garnered the band a devout worldwide following, and it seems the time and effort the band poured into Clinging To A Scheme has paid off in spades. Brief but intoxicating opener "Domestic Scene" tangles hypnotic guitar and echoed vocals over a repetitive drum beat to stunning result. Next is the surefire hit "Heaven's On Fire" with its hazy vocals, highly danceable rhythm, and unexpected saxophone. Clinging To A Scheme perfectly marries the band's earlier pension for noise with the more dreamy aesthetic of Pet Grief and takes that marriage even further. Pulsing synthesizers mix with fuzz, ingeniously placed electronic beats, and lush, ethereal vocals. From the reggae-infused "Never Follow Suit" to the soaringly ambient "A Token Of Gratitude" to the driving early 90's indie-rock reminiscent guitars on "The Video Dept.," Clinging To A Scheme not only delivers in variety and quality but it justifies the album's long road to release. There's not a misstep to be found on this release, which easily ranks as one of the more notable of this young year. -- Capt. Obvious

Listen:
MP3: The Radio Dept. - Heaven's On Fire
MP3: The Radio Dept. - David

Tags: The Radio Dept., Clinging To A Scheme