DESCRIPTION:
Released in 2010 on Upper Class.

The Russian Futurists is actually a Canadian named Matthew Adam Hart, but sounds like 5 guys. He makes well arranged, upbeat synth pop / indie pop / disco with bits of funk and R&B added for extra flavour. He's been releasing albums since 2000. This is his 4th album.

Weight's On The Wheels isn't all that different from past Futurists albums. He actually went to a studio this time, added some female vocals on a couple tracks, but other than that, he sticks to his tried and true formula of multi tracked vocals and musical arrangements that sound like full on orchestras of synths and drums. All the instruments are well arranged into simple yet complex arrangements. Some songs are sweet, others are funkier. All drenched in synth and drumbeats.

Russian Futurists have always been very upbeat, very poppy, charming endearing. They have also been very busy lyrical. Hart likes to wordplay as far as he can. Lots of clever couplets, cute metaphors, humour and romantic clichés. Songs have vague themes about surgery, getting beat up, farming, hunting and things of that nature. Clever, but not obnoxious.

One small minus is the lack of any emotional variation. Each song is happy go lucky. Every song shares a sunny, brand new love, feel good, sentiment. The same sentiments he's explored on his past albums. I guess it's his shtick. No biggee.

At any rate, if you like Postal Service, Stars, Caribou, Magnetic Fields, Sleigh Bells, I can't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to hang with this album. It's bright, bouncy and infectious. Hart explores the same old same old, but for some reason I'm not getting tired of it.

3.5/5

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