Pompeya – Tropical

Artist: Pompeya
Album: Tropical
Label: No Shame
Release Date: October 2013

Transcending back to a decade where the music was groovier and consisted of funky beats and smooth transitions, Russian synth-pop group Pompeya’s US debut album Tropical effortless derives beats from the ‘70s and ‘80s to create a far-out vibe. While some tracks on the album seem to run a bit too long, the group seems to have mastered sounds of disco’s past as they blend funky synth beats with cool vocals. The band sounds a lot like the band Phoenix, with its only real difference coming from its decade shifting style.

A few notable tracks are “90,” “Cheenese,” and “Tropical.” While these are only three tracks from the twelve-track album, the others are definitely worth a listen. Many of the songs sound very similar to one another and are often hard to distinguish from one another, but if you like a chill album that can provide some upbeat background tunes it is a perfect album for just that. Another notable problem is track length. In “My Mind is Clear” Pompeya offers some way groovy and upbeat music as their first track really pulls you in with a cool beat and catchy lyrics; however, after about three minutes the song ceases vocals and goes on to a completely instrumental synth jam sesh.  While this is probably my favorite track because the lyrics are so fun, and the beat extremely upbeat, funky, and very Phoenix-esque, I am not too keen on the last four minute jam sesh, it just seems wildly unnecessary.

With all of this being said, Pompeya has an extreme love and passion for their music and a dedication that can rarely be rivaled. While the track has some downfalls it is still most definitely worth a listen because of its excellence in passion, and its upbeat nature. The band’s style and slight issues still have much time to be worked out and fans can gear up for their next album with hopes the small bugs can be worked out.

Reviewed by Taylor Hughes