Hooray for Earth leader Noel Heroux evokes memories of the type of ’80s radio pop that was never considered alternative nor indie during that complex decade. (Shades of Tears for Fears? Toto? Mike & The Mechanics?) However, times change, and stylistic lines get redrawn; Hooray for Earth take advantage of the redistricting by taking their plush synths and sweetly voiced melodies and mixing them with tougher, angrier sounds at the edges. Most importantly, the band’s second album, Racy, is actually the work of the band and not a first-person execution by Heroux. As a result, songs like “Keys,” “Last, First,” and “Airs” sound more excited and even a touch messy compared to the songs on the debut album, 2011’s True Loves. “Happening” sounds like a tune swiped from early-'80s David Bowie. While clearly, Hooray for Earth would love to find their way to radios and arenas, they now do so with a sense of experimentalism (“Pass”) that lets keyboardist/vocalist Jessica Zambri, bassist Chris Principe, and drummer Joe Ciampini mold things to their liking.
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