What truly makes Ultramarine penetrate beyond the passé realm of feel-good electropop, are the subliminal hints of evanescent existence scattered amidst the stardust.
Ultramarine moves Young Galaxy from being a great indie band to being a great band, full stop. The songs profoundly move the body and the psyche in equal measure.
Whether McCandless is soaring over the icy electronic shimmer of tracks like "Fall for You" and "New Summer" or cooing in her husky croon on the synth disco number "Out the Gate Backwards," she makes Ultramarine a hypnotic, addictive listen.
As immediate as Ultramarine is as a whole, there are a number of growers on the album, mainly popping up during the album's middle section.
It’s no slight to say nothing on Ultramarine matches its opening triad-- not much does. The remainder of it is solid, though it shows a band still using established pop framework in lieu of a personality.
While this album’s forays into club kid territory miss the mark, there’s plenty to like about it.
McCandless has a great voice, and when Young Galaxy gives her strong material their songs really work. But she can’t do it on her own, and the middle chunk of Ultramarine proves that.
Among the scattered clichés of the couple's fourth album, what acts as a decoy and attracts our attention is the annoying tension that lies within the songs and doesn't allow the senses to relax.
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