The Past Presents the Future

The Past Presents the Future

Electro-pop artist Marc Bianchi shows on The Past Presents The Future that his intimate, low-key style is not something he’ll be giving up anytime soon. The Past Presents the Future expands on the sound that has come to define HSP, adding new instruments here and there — and even the occasional extra layer — to songs that might have been more exposed and vulnerable on previous releases. Stripped down tracks like “You and Me” and  “Self Helpless,” with their simple, blinking, loopy synths and clicking drums, harken back to 2003’s The Young Machines, but the big drum sound on “The Great Parade,” the vinyl hiss and huge beats on “The Weight of the World,” and the loping bongos and guitars on “A Match Made In Texas” add new dimension and — dare we say it? — an element of fun to the mix. While he’s always risked coming off as resignedly dour and depressed, Bianchi should be credited for maintaining a wry humor and an oddly upbeat attitude in the face of love gone wrong, of loss and betrayal. The confessional title track here is heartachingly sincere and emotionally naked, but many tracks exude a more buoyant vibe. “It’s easy as 1-2-3, let’s all exploit our misery!” What’s not fun about that?!

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