Cinderpop : A Lesson In Science

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/cinderpopalessoninscience.jpg" alt=" " />Power-pop burns bright on Cinderpop’s latest, <em>A Lesson In Science</em>....
7.1 Popoganda
2008 

 Power-pop burns bright on Cinderpop’s latest, A Lesson In Science. The Vancouver-based band has their hooks in spades on this, their third release.  While sometimes the record can feel a bit too cute and poppy, after a few more listens, A Lesson In Science makes more and more sense.

Cinderpop unfortunately open their new album with the relatively weaker one-two of “Bumblebee” and “A Lesson In Science”.  The pressing power-pop of “Bumblebee” is nice, but kinda too cute, while the grand, Beatles-esque pop of the titular track isn’t inventive enough.  Upbeat middle track “Cinnamon Winter” suffers the same too cute issue, but in between lay two of Lesson’s best, “Speechless” and “Blonder”.  “Speechless” delivers a touching, carrying effect, while the single-worthy “Blonder” is just some great, catchy, indie-power-pop.

Catch is something Cinderpop certainly know how to deliver, but the band is smart enough to stretch out in other directions as the record plays on.  “Speed of Light” is slow and tragic, while “Boomerang” is high and meaningful; in between, “When All the Town Turns Right” goes the high-tronic route, with a great rhythm.  Things get even more electric/tronic on finisher “Bounce Me”, but before that A Lesson In Science also goes stripped and quiet on “Mary, All Messed In the Head” and “Latest of the Five”.  Unfortunately, this folk-pop isn’t as winning; stronger is the fuzzy flow and guitars of “Dead At the Side of the Road” and the high press of the enjoyable “Vesuvius”, with its fuzzy expanse at times.

With thirteen tracks, A Lesson In Science is at times middling, but also inspired at times.  Stripping out some of the too-cute pieces might have also cost it the really catchy ones; removing the restrained folk-pop might have caused a loss in the ‘tronic experiments.  More importantly, the more the record spins, the better it gets.

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