Since the beginning of 2006, Klaxons have dominated the NME circuit. From releasing 5 singles and one EP, they were signed to Polydor Records in the UK and Geffen Records in the US. Their debut album Myths Of The Near Future charted at Number 2 in the UK Album Charts, won a Mercury Music Prize in 2007 and sold a grand total of 274,200 copies.
Surfing The Void took over three years to be recorded. As far as I noticed, fans are not too happy about it. From the extremely catchy hooks in "Echoes" to the progressive rock in "Cypherspeed", it alienates the fans who are used to the acid rave vibes of Myths Of The Near Future. Not that it will disappoint current fans, but I can't see them gaining fans from this effort.
Even though it's not as good as the debut, there are some standout tracks in the album: "Venusia" is an excellent post-punk track with great harmonies. "The Same Space" is a fun electro-pop track with falsetto melodies. But tracks like "Extra Astronomical" and "Surfing The Void" consist of just unsettling noise, and the melodies seem mediocre; it's like if Sonic Youth attempted to make space rock.
Overall, Surfing The Void is very bland. It has an overabundance of filler, and it's not as fun and exciting as the debut. According to the band, they were told by their label Polydor to re-record some parts of the album because it was too experimental. Hopefully within the next two or three years, they'll make more hit pop songs that their fans will adore.
[Klaxons Myspace]
[Buy Surfing The Void from Polydor]
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