The new album ‘Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt’ (matcd063) from celebrated Swedish pop act Azure Blue is out today!
Capturing the hearts of music lovers around the world with the debut album ‘Rule Of Thirds’ (matcd059), Azure Blue earned international critical praise, won a Swedish independent grammy for best pop album in 2012, and enjoyed exposure on both Swedish national TV and Spanish national radio.
The new album builds on the success of the debut with highly personal and deeply romantic songwriting bathed in especially polished production. Lead single ‘The Road I Know’ has been described as “a cacophony of vintage synthesizers battling for attention over a bed of whiplash electronic drums, all toned down by Tobias Isaksson’s romantic, softly delivered vocals.”
Among many album highlights, opening track ‘Time Is On Our Side’ showcases elegant, warm vocals set to ambitiously sweeping instrumentation, while ‘Willows and Pines’ displays a downbeat splendor of captivating electronica and ‘Sunset’ is a hypnotic and especially ebullient masterpiece that sparkles in all the right places.
The album had its streaming premiere last week courtesy of respected pop culture site PopMatters, and today brings an exclusive interview and the premiere of a brand new video for album opener ‘Time Is On Our Side’ on the fantastic Interview Magazine!
The music press is definitely taking note, with some spectacular early reviews surfacing already:
“Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt is a record filled with unabashed wonder, pastel coloured hues and heart flipping melodies … a lustrous sea of texture and emotion that’s delivered with incredible panache.” —The Line Of Best Fit
“Lovely synth-pop gems that dazzle like something from Factory Records’ salad days.” —Linear Tracking Lives
“Like a clear summer sky or a particularly satisfying Dulux colour, Azure Blue is easy to get lost in.” —Time Out London
“Beyond the Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt continues the melancholic, New Order-for-dreamers vibe… weaving together a synth- and drum-machine-fueled, slow-motion disco.” —Interview Magazine
“A melange of ’80s synthpop textures and ’90s shoegaze vocals mixed with that wall of sound perfected by pop music back in the ’60s … yet this music sounds utterly contemporary.” —PopMatters
“Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt is ten tracks of polished pure sentimental indie pop … majestically warm and simultaneously aloof like Behaviour by Pet Shop Boys.” —Deadly Music
“The album is an altogether darker affair than Isaksson’s debut, but retains the melodic fortitude, the hypnotic hooks and reverb-laden delicacy that we’ve come to love from the Swedish artist. “—JaJaJa Music
“A wonderfully crafted album. —Seesound
The album is available in deluxe matte finish eco-wallet and digital formats from trusty record retailers including our very own Matinée shop. You can preview four of the ace album tracks on the Soundcloud player below: