While listening to Museum of Tomorrow – which clocks in as the Speed of Sound’s latest and fifth full-length album – it is easy to imagine yourself gliding through space in a time machine. Released by Big Stir Records, this 13-track collection centers on science-fiction concepts, where the past meets the future, the future meets the past, the present is questionable, and the line is blurred between fantasy and reality.
Founded in 1989 in Manchester, England, the Speed of Sound has encountered a number of personnel shifts over the years, but their dedication to creating fun and interesting music promoting a fusion of old-school stylings with contemporary curls has always remained intact. The current configuration of the band includes vocalist and guitarist John Armstrong, vocalist and guitarist Ann-Marie Crowley, bassist Kevin Roache, keyboardist Henry Armstrong and drummer John Broadhurst.
Each Speed of Sound song blends right into the next cut, operating at a quick and efficient pace. There is zero fat content on Museum of Tomorrow, as the tunes are trim and tight, sloping towards a zoomy feel that reflects the subject matter.
Ann-Marie’s vocals are bright and lively, where John Armstrong sports a stony Lou Reed-ish intonation. Much of the material on Museum of Tomorrow orbits around big and bubbly rhythms rippling with new-wave reflexes, aided by flashes of ringing psychedelic Byrdsian guitar figures.
Among the top cuts heard on Museum of Tomorrow are “Zombie Century,” “Shadow Factory,” “Opium Eyes” and the dreamy trippiness of “Tired and Wired,” which yields visions of Jefferson Airplane and the Ultimate Spinach.
Also of note are “Impossible Past” and “Blood, Sweat and Tears,” but the Speed of Sound’s entire effort equals an exciting audio experience. Every “exhibition” – as the songs are referred as – on Museum of Tomorrow is rife with power-packed pop melodies and harmonious instrumentation, making for a record that has a long-lasting effect.
