Saturday, July 9, 2011

Active Child - Curtis Lane EP (2010)

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My introduction to Active Child came from California indie-pop quartet Princeton's cover of The Walker Brother's "The Electrician" which featured him (both in the video and the track itself). I can't tell you where his vocals end and Princeton's begin or vice-versa but curiosity led me to find out who or what Active Child was.

What I found surprised me. Expecting a band, I instead found a single man who's laptop pop enabled him to sound like an orchestra - if said orchestra were armed with drum-machines and synths. And yet, regardless of how layered the tracks became, Pat Grossi's pure wholesome voice cuts clear through all the noise like a beacon in a storm. Add the unlikely mix of heavenly strumming harps ("I'm In Your Church At Night" "She Was A Vision") and you've got something truly amazing.

Active Child's debut, the Curtis Lane EP, packs a real emotional punch. Not surprising considering the strength of Grossi's vocals and the conviction in his oddly simplistic lyrics. Even when the extraneous diversifying elements are stripped away after two songs in, Grossi still manages to dazzle amongst the 80s synth-pop smorgasbord that Curtis Lane transforms into.

Get a taste of Active Child with the music video for "I'm In Your Church At Night":


Active Child's debut album You Are All I See comes out August 23rd.

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