Amber Arcades releases her new album, European Heartbreak, through Heavenly Recordings. A step forward from her critically acclaimed debut album Fading Lines, this selection of songs flit around Europe, from Berlin to Spain to the south of France. It’s European not just in lyrical theme but in the sly sophistication of its music: songs that carry with them the air of open-topped cars on cliff top roads, of cocktails on the terrace at sunset. European Heartbreak is about the nature of past and memory and our tendency to over-romanticize the events of our lives. It also deals with the passage of time, the relationship between past, present and future. And what is revealed, as the past is examined, is the disillusionment that had been concealed behind the carapace of romance...

European Heartbreak gets off on the right note, with the upbeat, memorable 'Simple Song'. This is very much a '90s indie pop track which sets the scene well for what is to come.

The LP contains 11 songs (37 min, 08 sec), with instantly accessible tracks including the aforementioned 'Simple Song'; 'Goodnight Europe'; the Breeders-esque 'Where Did You Go?'; and the closing 'Baby, Eternal'.

The retro, mellow sound will draw you in and keep you coming back for more. Amber Arcades delivers a well polished collection of tracks here.

7

Nick Smithson