Official Secrets Act: Understanding Electricity

“Understanding Electricity” is a great debut album that provides a perfect platform for the Official Secrets Act to become a major new force in 2009. Despite being an original and contemporary album, it still evokes some early 80’s déjà-vu for me

“Mainstream” is an upbeat opener that confirms the 1982 nostalgia with a synthesiser that makes the same sound that the video game, Phoenix, used to make when one of the birds would break formation and hover around in a hard to shoot way before dive bombing your spaceship kamikaze style and taking the pair of you out.

“The Girl from the BBC” has a very catchy riff and lyric that makes it a prime candidate for a radio friendly sing-a-long single.

“A Head for Herod” builds slowly with a pulsing guitar not dissimilar to the opening track on the last Kings of Leon album. The slow paced 6+ minute track continues with its harmonic backing vocals and promises a big finish that never really materialises.

“Momentary Sanctuary” has swirling progressive keyboards that might have been easily attributed to Jean-Michel Jarre over a train like rhythm before fading out with acoustic guitars, violins and running water. Which reminds me I’ll be back in a minute, I just need to do something first.

“Bloodsport” is my favourite track on the album with its New Romantic keyboard licks enclosing the soft choral vocals. I’m still not convinced this wasn’t a big hit in 1982 that I just missed.

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