VISION TALK ELEVATION ALBUM SPACE SOUND RELEASE: MARCH 20, 2010 REVIEW: MARCH 17, 2010

With a slight tilt towards full-on synthpop, Swedish Vision Talk have taken on the difficult task of creating a second album. "Elevation", much like the debut "Dirty Italo Disco" from 2009, is anchored by cleverly composed melodies and catchy breaks, but has moved away slightly from the distinct italo sound.

Song writer and composer Krister Petersson does have one italo disco instrumental called "Who Will Be the First Man on the Moon?" to close out the album in style. The main part of "Elevation", however, is a cocktail of retro eighties synthpop and very fresh sounding contemporary electropop, even including a classically constructed ballad this time. A nice touch and a perfect opportunity for vocalist Richard Flow to shine, as his standard vocal touch tends to become unnecessarily one sided at times. Martina Ramstedt handles the main vocal on "I'm Not Like You", adding some nice relief from the unrelenting testosterone power of Flow.

It has to be said that Vision Talk have their place in today's electronic scene, as they produce superbly catchy synthpop with impressive melodic strands, more so now than ever. A more cohesive piece than its predecessor, "Elevation" has brought me nothing but electronic joy while taking it in.

NIKLAS FORSBERG