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Apr 30, 2015 Django Django By Cody Ray Shafer

Hard to believe it’s already been three years since London-based psych band Django Django released their self-titled debut. Their eclectic mixture of sun-drenched sonic bursts, primal beats, and spacey melodies still stands out as a uniquely original effort. Second albums are notoriously difficult to pull off, since they cannot avoid comparisons to their predecessors, and lightning rarely strikes twice. But Born Under Saturn carries on the energy from their debut perfectly, taking steps out into new territory cautiously, but with great reward.

Django Django have a penchant for expansive noise that sticks to a rigorous stomp. Immediate influences are hard to pin down, but range somewhere from the gospel-folk of the Talking Heads to the drowning synth pop of Tears for Fears, but with a dusty layer of fuzz. After reintroducing their signature sound, Born Under Saturn sets out to carefully build on that framework.

“Giant” kicks off the album with a slight drone that leads into the irresistible rhythm and piano riff that carries the song, before the vocals layer themselves over, somewhere between Beach Boys harmonies and demented chants. “Shake and Tremble” is carried by a funky surf-bass that serves up a swaggering counterbalance to its sweeping chorus. “Pause Repeat” discovers a new level of pop sensibility, but stops short of going overboard. “Reflections” invites a tongue-in-cheek cool that elaborates on classic New Wave themes, complete with cheesy-but well-executed-sax solo. Born Under Saturn hits its strongest marks toward the end. The last two tracks close out bleeding together with hyper drum circle beats.

Born Under Saturn, could easily pass as a second disc to a Django Django double LP. Their sound hasn’t been updated, not that it needs to be, and the format they established is untouched with a few exceptions. It’s a comforting ease back into the trippy void of Django Django’s hazy world. (www.djangodjango.co.uk)

Author rating: 8/10