Since the release of megahit “Walking On A Dream” in 2008, Empire of the Sun’s stadium bangers have dominated high school proms and après-skis around the world. Their new album, “Ask That God,” succeeds in recapturing the thrilling and imaginative synth-pop that Empire of the Sun has trademarked.
The Australian band, comprised of vocalist Luke Steele and instrumentalist Nick Littlemore, released its fourth studio album on July 26 to broad acclaim from Metacritic, AllMusic, and other musical review sites.
Both Steele and Littlemore are masters of the extravagant. They descend to the listener in fanciful headdresses and bizarre visuals of anthropomorphic swordfish. Even their pseudonyms, “Emperor Steele and Lord Littlemore,” make them alien and almost fictional to the listener.
They have messages of love and unity available to the listener, provided the listener is willing to join them on the perpetual mountain-peak where they reside.
“Ask That God” follows suit, bringing the listener on a mesmerizing journey from the cherry blossoms of Thailand to the glitzy karaoke bars of Tokyo.
The album comes eight years after their third record “Two Vines,” which was released in 2016. In that hiatus, the duo pursued their independent musical projects, with Steele releasing a solo album and Littlemore working with his dance music trio, PNAU.
This time away is heard in the reflective and contemplative themes of the record. The usual lyrics that rouse crowds or fantasize about young love (sometimes both at once) now share space with heavy soul-searching of the band’s growth as artists.
For example, the chorus of the opening track, “Changes,” states “This time I’ll love you more, This time we’re going through changes.”
For a band whose founding millennial audience has long since left their college nights behind, reflection on their career and self-redefinition are a given.
Empire of the Sun records follow a strict formula: frontload the tracklist with certified party classics and fizzle out into moody deep-cuts that speak what cannot be heard over subwoofers.
All three singles find their place at the start of the record, followed by hidden gem “The Feeling You Get.” The tracks feature an effective synth and snare combo, with whimsical descending guitar or keys riffs showing up in several places. The latter half of the album loses the partygoer in its dreaminess.
The final track, “Friends I Know,” is certainly the least catchy track, but it is drunk with the type of reflection that underscores the rest of the album, singing “maybe I’m a dreamer, maybe I’m a sinner, maybe I’ll become what I once believed for.”
“Ask That God” certainly does not have the same cultural relevance as Empire of the Sun’s sixteen-year-old debut – it is an album for the fans. Steele and Littlemore express no desire to stop producing music. This latest record proves that the pop gurus still have more to offer.