In Standard Definition

Album review

On his entertaining debut album Trespasser, Art d'Ecco made it apparent that he was a savvy pop culture fan with a genre-mashing sound as well-designed as his gender-fluid visuals. He gives that sound -- a vivid mix of glam rock, synth pop, and post-punk -- a decidedly widescreen upgrade on his sophomore album In Standard Definition. d'Ecco's ambition requires pristine production and polished arrangements, which he gets with the help of producer Colin Stewart, seasoned jazz players on brass, and cinematic strings courtesy of members of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. However, it's not just d'Ecco's style that comes into sharper focus on In Standard Definition, but the meaning of his music as well. As he leans into his self-awareness, he delivers sharply conceived social commentary with candy coated hooks; on "Good Looks," he skewers love and lust in the digital age, snarling "you can swipe around for someone for someone better" over a strutting rhythm section. d'Ecco's glam and new wave fascinations take the lead on In Standard Definition, and he joins the ranks of subversively catchy guitar pop acts like Redd Kross, Bobby Conn, and Monomania-era Deerhunter on songs such as "Desires," which carries a surprising amount of need and nostalgic ache within its stomping choruses. But even when his allusions are clearer than ever, d'Ecco still sounds like himself as he combines Queen-ly harmonies and Iggy Pop homages ("you've got me in your TV eye") on "TV God" or gives Sparks a run for their money on "The Message" and "I Am the Dance Floor." When he balances glittery highlights like "Head Rush" and "Bird of Prey" by exploring the shadowy side of nostalgia, d'Ecco revisits the moody synth pop that made Trespasser so striking. Whether on spacey reveries like "Channel 11 (Reruns)" or the bittersweet sweep of "Nothing Ever Changes," he captures the comfort of being sad -- and on the album's dreamy New Order-tinged title track, the pitfalls of always longing for the past. "I Remember" sums up the album perfectly, with those retro-futuristic synths pulling d'Ecco "deep in the sea of a memory" from which he doesn't want to escape. Smart and fun in equal measures, In Standard Definition's love letters to long-gone formats and feelings are similarly bewitching.

© Heather Phares /TiVo