“in those abandoned times / that’s where your lost lives can be found”
The eighties revolution is in full force. I even get swept up in the time warp sometimes and want to find a nice checkered pair of Vans. And while most bands revisiting that era seem to be name-checking the usual suspects—Joy Division, the Cure, Echo, etc.—I’m happy to report that the cloud room (spelled with lowercase letters) and their self-titled debut draw on some new castaways and revive their spirit.
Pure-driven pop with a modern sensibility, the cloud room might be some of the best pop music you’ve heard in a while. It’s pure genius, to put it simply—catchy, comforting, easy to digest, and fun. If you were a fan of the Psychedelic Furs, INXS, or even the Some Kind of Wonderful soundtrack, you’ll be in heaven with the cloud room.
Now the lyrics range from not-so-rocket science (“Hey now now / We going down down / And we ride the bus there / Pay the bus fare / And we find a new reason”) to not-so-bad (“You look like a stranger / The only advice I can give / Is come on, come on, come on / Come on and live”) to sorta-clever pop philosophy (“Don’t you wanna go to the time / When the plans we’d make / Were laws we’d yet to break”). But don’t let that worry you, because it doesn’t matter. The melodies make you feel good, and the oh-so-glorious choruses will lift your step, whatever they’re saying. Seriously.
The songs flow seamlessly into each other, bringing you happily along for the ride. (Standouts include “Hey Now Now,” “Beautiful Mess,” “Blue Jean,” and “Devoured in Peace.”) the cloud room is full of carefree life, and I can listen to this album all the way through. When was the last time you really wanted to do that?
Upbeat and surprisingly groovy, the cloud room is a band you should be hearing a lot about this year. Named, supposedly, after a speakeasy at the top of the Chrysler Building during Prohibition, the cloud room is a guilty pleasure that everyone can share in. Put this in your shuffle and let go; it’s music to enjoy life to.