FOOTPRINTZ

ESCAPE YOURSELF (Visionquest)

11/20

We’ve been looking forward to a debut album from Montreal duo Footprintz for so long that we’d pretty much forgotten about the idea by the time it finally dropped through the letterbox. With appetites fully whetted due to a Footprintz track providing the highlight on no fewer than three of our favourite mixes in recent years, the timeframe waiting for a full-length proved frustrating. Harnessing a inert sense of futuristic chic, borrowed but not stolen from the likes Japan, Dépêche Mode and OMD, the palette is slow burning 80s synth dramatics with an underlying sense of cool. In Footprintz’ case, suited cool as exemplified by Clarian North and Adam Hunter’s debonair attire. It’s a really strong look. But herein lies much of the problem. The scene is set, the product is slick, the synths are wonderful and there’s even a dystopian concept floating around somewhere, but the record rarely gets beyond the point of docile. Standout track Fear Of Numbers still sounds haunting and exemplifies the relative perfection Footprintz are able to conjure, but much of the record barely gets out of first gear.

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Words: Thomas Frost