Windsor Drive: Wanderlust
Electropop, like hair metal, is one of those genres that developed in the late seventies, pervaded the eighties, and then was largely ignored throughout the nineties. However as soft rock and rap music started to feel stale, the synthesizers and drum machines began to creep back in to the mix of radio/club hits. The results of this new hybrid were often obnoxious, infectious, and extremely fun to dance to.
Windsor Drive‘s new EP Wanderlust feels like the obvious culmination of a new decade of electropop: lush, danceable, and energetic while ultimately reliant on the techniques utilized by the founders and purveyors of the genre. There are a lot of influences displayed here from Fleetwood Mac and U2 to Cyndi Lauper and Prince. All of these are good artists to emulate, but it makes the record a little less fulfilling in the originality department to hear so many other artists in their sound.
Once I got past the general shortcomings I discovered a record that just wants to make you dance and have a good time. Even if you don’t like electropop, you might find it hard to keep your hips from swaying while your arms swing back and forth. Additionally the lyrics seem to be well above par for the genre as they confront the complacency of the modern age, the thrill of youthful emotional conflict, and the exhaustive troubles of maintaining a party lifestyle.
While this EP is far from a major musical achievement it does provide for an excellent distraction from the normal pop nonsense that is big on the radio. Many could find the blatant influence of past artists to be a hindrance, but Windsor Drive manages to deliver a mostly worthwhile listen that sets them apart from the pop radio pack with retro style and youthful energy.
Rating: 6.2/10
MP3: Windsor Drive “I Don’t Feel It”
Buy: iTunes
