I Don't Know How But They Found Me- RAZZMATAZZ

 In a way RAZZMATAZZ is a big success. Despite being lacking in personality and original ideas IDKHOW manage to pull through with a record that’s engaging all the way through. There’s a tone of déjà vu moments on this album and listing all the other bands this album is pretty obviously influenced by would probably take up most of the review. Mostly I was getthing clear Soft Cell vibes, maybe because their my favorite synth-pop group. Vocals don’t bring much of a character to the record either, I can’t pin point exactly what they sound like the most but I would never be able to pick them out of a line up.

Luckily quality of the songs makes up for most of RAZZMATAZZes shortcomings. What works for me the most are the slower cuts. Nobody Likes An Opening Band is just adorable, I can see them starting their set as a supporting band with that track and immediately winning the audience over. From A Gallows is equally charming despite sounding a lot like Muse when it wants to sound a lot like Queen. At no point did the record drag or hit a low point of any sort but the band really saved best for last, Need You Here is a stunning pop anthem and the title track is epic, catchy and ends the record with a sax solo which automatically gives it extra points, every album should end with a sax solo and it’s a f*ckin joke that it doesn’t happen more often.
There was this little one little album this year that I actually have written about here, called West of Eden by the band HMLTD and it seem like the most obvious comparison to RAZZMATAZZ, being an over the top, contemporary synth-pop album that sounds kinda like Soft Cell. Out of those two I would pick West of Eden any day- it has a tone of character, songs are more diversed, vocals weirder and I still remember everything about that album after months which I don’t think will happen with RAZZ. Despite not breaking the mould exactly, it’s a solid synth pop record and if for anyone HMLTD sounded too bizzare, this might be a more digestable approach to synth-pop in 2020.
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Rating: 7/10