Django Django has art-pop down to a science. Their previous two albums combined elements of 70’s pop and 2010's psych-pop almost algorithmically. The soaring synths, jangly guitars and meticulous harmonies pair perfectly to create happy-go-lucky indie music, evocative of the rolling style of The Stone Roses and the quirky bounce of avant-pop masters, Stereolab. In their third full-length album, Django Django turns to from science to philosophy – asking more questions without demanding answers.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Marble Skies is wiser than its predecessors – the band has come a long way from releasing tracks on Myspace, and a bit of change is inevitable when nearly all of the members have had children. Conceptually, the album contemplates the passing of time, asking questions like “Ever wonder why we're put here?” and “Was it the future that you saw?” The album doesn’t provide any answers, but rather emphasizes the importance of the questions. Musically, Marble Skies reflects the constant state of change that singer Vincent Neff sings about. No man steps in the same river twice, and no listener steps into the same sonic landscape twice on Marble Skies. The 40-minute album is always mutating, with each sound rolling over onto itself, making room for whatever may come next.
Marble Skies is the perfect follow up to Born Under Saturn. While Saturn painted pictures of grandiosity, Marble Skies simply observes the world around us, making it their best work yet.
By Jordan Smith
