Scott Irvine
04/08/07, 05:54 PM
The Secret Handshake - Summer of '98
Released March 6th, 2007
Triple Crown Records
It was far from unpredictable that another electro-pop album that beats the "remixes are still cool and so is the vocoder" horse would drop early on in 2007 to rattle the surprising stream of excellent releases. There's an incessant need for these sloppy-seconds acts playing off the growing indie ass-shaking crowd, and The Secret Handshake proves its still in full-effect with Summer of '98.
It's not like Triple Crown Records tarnished their reputation this time around; they did that with Anterrabae. But snooping around the suburbs for another beaten 'n bruised solo act that sneaks his 8th-grade reminiscences in behind smoothly applied electronic sparkles is a disappointing move to preserve a solid lineup as the one Triple Crown has maintained. To put your name behind an EP that boasts seven tracks with four remixes that, honestly, should have become mere iTunes exclusives is a head-scratcher in its own. Summer of '98 probably had good intentions, but such is only a fleeting thought as the outcome of the EP outweighs my sympathy for Luis Dubuc's uninspired effort this time around.
First track, "Summer of '98" -- cue Hellogoodbye comparisons...now! In all seriousness though, you'll get acquainted with this song as you'll hear it three times over the course of the EP; in its original state and remixed by the likes of Ronnie Darko and P.O.S. The most interesting version is P.O.S.'s remix, though don't mistake 'interesting' as 'good'. The Minneapolis anti-mainstream hip-hop artist layers the song with an odd subterranean texture that doesn't fit with Dubuc's optimistic vocals at all. Darko's remix fairs a bit better but the various shuffles and bleeps aren't worth sticking around for the entire track. "Too Young" is sturdy instrumental-wise, but it is severely lacking any lyrical girth. The "orchestral" ending gives it a nice touch but Dubuc's lyrics come off no more than passable diary-drama. The surprisingly minimalist remix by Dillinger Escape Plan and Toxic Avenger's dirty-disco spin don't do it any justice, either.
"The phone call ended in such a way/That I wasn't sure just what to say/Who to call/How to feel/Won't someone tell me is this even real"
"Don't Call" is the only song on the album I can see myself coming back to listen to. Luis doesn't try to justify his beat-worthy strut here. Rather an down-to-earth electro/piano piece is put to the test and is actually pulled off quite well.
Summer of '98 is sadly a shot-before-buzzer effort only perpetuating this sort of lackluster attention to the creativity and endurance any album shouldn't be without. If Luis Dubuc has it in him, he could go far. The man is talented and suitable for a more expansive fanbase. But, only when he escapes faults like this EP can he appeal to an even wider audience than he already has.
Released March 6th, 2007
Triple Crown Records
It was far from unpredictable that another electro-pop album that beats the "remixes are still cool and so is the vocoder" horse would drop early on in 2007 to rattle the surprising stream of excellent releases. There's an incessant need for these sloppy-seconds acts playing off the growing indie ass-shaking crowd, and The Secret Handshake proves its still in full-effect with Summer of '98.
It's not like Triple Crown Records tarnished their reputation this time around; they did that with Anterrabae. But snooping around the suburbs for another beaten 'n bruised solo act that sneaks his 8th-grade reminiscences in behind smoothly applied electronic sparkles is a disappointing move to preserve a solid lineup as the one Triple Crown has maintained. To put your name behind an EP that boasts seven tracks with four remixes that, honestly, should have become mere iTunes exclusives is a head-scratcher in its own. Summer of '98 probably had good intentions, but such is only a fleeting thought as the outcome of the EP outweighs my sympathy for Luis Dubuc's uninspired effort this time around.
First track, "Summer of '98" -- cue Hellogoodbye comparisons...now! In all seriousness though, you'll get acquainted with this song as you'll hear it three times over the course of the EP; in its original state and remixed by the likes of Ronnie Darko and P.O.S. The most interesting version is P.O.S.'s remix, though don't mistake 'interesting' as 'good'. The Minneapolis anti-mainstream hip-hop artist layers the song with an odd subterranean texture that doesn't fit with Dubuc's optimistic vocals at all. Darko's remix fairs a bit better but the various shuffles and bleeps aren't worth sticking around for the entire track. "Too Young" is sturdy instrumental-wise, but it is severely lacking any lyrical girth. The "orchestral" ending gives it a nice touch but Dubuc's lyrics come off no more than passable diary-drama. The surprisingly minimalist remix by Dillinger Escape Plan and Toxic Avenger's dirty-disco spin don't do it any justice, either.
"The phone call ended in such a way/That I wasn't sure just what to say/Who to call/How to feel/Won't someone tell me is this even real"
"Don't Call" is the only song on the album I can see myself coming back to listen to. Luis doesn't try to justify his beat-worthy strut here. Rather an down-to-earth electro/piano piece is put to the test and is actually pulled off quite well.
Summer of '98 is sadly a shot-before-buzzer effort only perpetuating this sort of lackluster attention to the creativity and endurance any album shouldn't be without. If Luis Dubuc has it in him, he could go far. The man is talented and suitable for a more expansive fanbase. But, only when he escapes faults like this EP can he appeal to an even wider audience than he already has.