Rapprocher

iTunes Review

This 2011 debut is so incredibly crafted that it could do for the ‘80s electro-pop revival what The Strokes and Interpol did for the rebirth of post-punk. Rapprocher abounds with authentically ‘80s-sounding synthesizer soundscapes playing over period-correct drum machines. But what make this album memorable are the well-structured songs loaded with diamond-barbed hooks, as well as Elizabeth Harper’s incredibly powerful and dynamic voice. “Keep You” opens, featuring Harper cooing in an icy, demure manner over Mark Richardson’s music. Richardson builds crystalline keyboard castles with an arsenal of vintage synths at his disposal, but he also injects more relevant distortion and modern effects. This saves Rapprocher from painting itself into a retro corner. Harper also succumbs to timely textures on “Love Me Like You Used To”, sounding like Feist doing a Siouxsie Sioux impersonation. Echoes of early Depeche Mode resonate with “Weekend”, while the squiggling synth lines and deep beats of “Prove Me Wrong” recall a time when Madonna was a burgeoning fixture of New York’s East Village.