Balancing a bubbly indie pop synth with cut to the bone lyrics, San Cisco has released their fifth album Under The Light. The band crafted the title to showcase the vulnerability under a spotlight or the feel-good times in West Australia. San Cisco has been deemed as one of Australia’s most successful indie bands, with Wonderland Magazine calling the group an “Australian indie powerhouse.” The ten years the three-piece has spent together has allowed them to headline FIFA Fan Festival in Adelaide (SA) as well as feature at festivals like Lollapalooza and Reading & Leeds. While their vision and the stories they tell are clean and crisp, they are still able to bottle up that vulnerability and display it on this record.
The title track “Under The Light” has the hook “you never know if it is fake or love.” Showcasing how it easy it is to get caught up in the moment. The chorus is electric with an earworm repetitive melody. On the record they collaborated with Anthony Dolhai, who has worked with artists like Carly Rae Jepsen. Jepsen’s album, Dedicated, has a similar indie synth pop sound so it was a perfect pairing for the band to capture that sound.
“One Percent” highlights the idea of Under The Light being the sun on the West Australian Coast. The love song is so feel-good, with dirty electric guitars and the singer professing he could never get his lover enough. The song breaks down to just a vocal and acoustic guitar, capturing that vulnerability and insecurity that is too relatable in the early stages of love.
Stripping down from the hyper synth song, “Find Yourself Here Again” is told in the second person with San Cisco placing the listener right in the track. While it is easy to get wrapped up in day-to-day worries, the track has beautiful acoustics and orchestral elements, really added this sweet heartfelt piece that can motivate anyone.
The project ends with “Into My Heart,” a sensual and sultry track that plays on dissonance and tension. While the verses are darker, the chorus has a lighter-than-air sound, bringing in this bright falsetto. The lyrics paint a tired cycle of falling in and out of love, “I’d rather die a hero than a villain again / slipping through my hands / into my heart.”
Overall, the album does exactly what it sets out to do. San Cisco covers everything under the sun, or “under the light.” The production gives it a through line of sonic cohesion that allows them to explore more vulnerable lyrics and ideas. This album and band are a must listen so go check out Under The Light now!
Written by Katie Power
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