MicroMars is digital pop bliss. They could very easily come across as
kitschy but to categorize them as such would deny them the credit they
deserve for being great songwriters. I first heard them on the
Masstransfer:03 compilation, which has the 5th track from this CD on it,
"Smile Decoy." The song grabbed my attention immediately, and while it
still may be my personal favorite on the album, none of the other songs
disappoint. Perhaps this is what The Cardigans would be if they had pursued
a more digital / Stereolab-ish route after Emmerdale (and traded Nina for a
male singer). There's a sample of a woman speaking French on "French Fi"
which makes my initial thought that MicroMars are similar in some ways to
Stereolab harder to ignore. But, where Stereolab toys with jazz and
orchestras, MicroMars sticks to straightforward synth pop. MicroMars
also has a much more downbeat feel than Stereolab's bubbly enthusiasm. So
if analog synth pop is your thing, but you also like sad songs done in a
subtle, almost veiled way, MicroMars should be on the top of your list.
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