Was I The Wave?

the sound on this album has evolved since five roses into another species. but it still has its origins written all over it: van pelt's soaring, delicate tenor, its magnificent waves of sound, and its introspective lyrics. this is five roses set in an intelligent sci-fi movie. after one or two plays through, you'll know if you like floating through this particular future. I got addicted to this blissful bedroom synth-pop after just one.

How many times have we heard the 'sophomore slump' cliche? I was elated when I found out that Miracle Fortress had another release. I couldn't wait to dive into another round of the lush, intricate, electronic shoegaze pop debuted with the Five Roses release. That record remains one of my favorites in my entire collection. However, be forewarned - if, like me, you are looking for another Five Roses, you won't find it here. I do not wish to discredit the composer, he is clearly a man of prodigious talents. The Five Roses release established that. But as the product description alludes to, this release bears little stylistic resemblance to the predecessor. In retrospect, I wish I would have heeded that warning a little more. What's different? The eletronic beats/percussion are pushed clearly to the forefront. The swirling, kaleidoscopic, melodic swaths of electronic syths that made Five Roses so captivating are replaced by pulsing synth phrases. The wistful melodies, melancholy vocals, the ethereal effect of the production so prevalent on Five Roses - nowhere to be found. The overall feel of the record is more akin to electronic dance music. Think LCD Soundsystem meets Hot Chip with some Human League thrown in for effect. NOT what I was expecting OR hoping for. If you liked Five Roses, stick with them. That record remains a work of stellar beauty. This release.........not so much.

Well I had the pleasure of seeing Miracle Fortress when they opened for Junior Boys a couple of years ago. It was a great show. Not just the music but also the lighting, the stage presence of Graham and his drummer went very well with the music. As soon as I could, I listened to "Was I The Wave?" After seeing them live, I was not disappointed. I highly recommend WITW if you enjoy music with a lot of synthesizers and emotional, introspective lyrics. I agree with the other reviewer that this album reminds one of LCD Soundsystem. The mood and production seems similar although I am no musician myself.
Some great songs on here are "Everything Works" and "Miscalculations." Personally, I think there is not one song on WITW that I do not enjoy. I've listened the whole album several times and I think I will continue to do so in the future. I wouldn't say the music and lyrics are sad but this is definitley not something to get a party started. Graham Van Pelt supposedly wrote the whole thing by himself and I think it kind of shows through the music. It seems like the thoughts and feelings going around in someone's head came out through the music.
True, the album is a departure from 'Five Roses.' That's ok with me, although I can see how fans of 'Five Roses' might have been thrown for a loop with WITW.