Customer Reviews

Electric President (Dig)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Electric President is a young (both well under 25 years old) duo of Florida artists named Ben Cooper and Alex Kane. It might seem like some sort of a mystery as to how their their self-titled debut found itself over the Atlantic Ocean and up to Berlin and the home of Morr Music, but one listen to the crisply-produced album of electronic pop will clear any of those thoughts away in this day and age of digital files and trans-continental album releases. Arriving somewhere between the newer work of Styrofoam (on Morr) and The Postal Service, Electric President mainly dabbles in melancholy-tinged tracks with a couple bursts distributed through the album for good measure.

The opener of "Good Morning Hypocrite" is one of the better pieces on the entire release, bobbing and weaving through several different styles and sections. It opens with some crisp drums odd found-sound percussion and acoustic guitars along with the breathy vocals of Cooper and alternates with mid-tempo sections of "ba-ba" choruses. At the end of the track, it double-times with a wooden-sounding kick drum and a dollop of hazy synth, giving it a nice gallop of energy and fitting close. "Insomnia" again melds acoustic guitars with layers of synths and clean programmed beats, while "Ten Thousand Lines" gets a bit louder with feedbacked guitars and very twee sounding vocals (as Cooper sounds like he's doing his best kid-voice imitation).

As mentioned above, the production on the release is very nice. The album may have been created in a bedroom studio, but the duo have obviously given a lot of thought to how things sound and there's a great attention to detail in terms of how instrumentation and vocals move throughout the mix in songs. Unfortunately, a good portion of the album is a little bit too safe, with the one-two punch of "Grand Machine No. 12" and "Hum" dripping with gooey acoustic guitar and quiet programming that only accept the nasal, affected vocals. The group is at their best when they turn things up a notch, as on the excellent "Some Crap About The Future" (which also gets props for the hilarious title) where they mix electric piano with fuzzy guitar and more subtle vocals. Although it's a little bit on the soft side, Electric President have created a nice little debut. If you're into the aforementioned artists, you probably won't go wrong here.

(from almost cool music reviews)

This album is nothing short of amiazing. I have been waiting for something like this for a long time to be honest. I got wind of this band back in september and downloaded some of the free tracks the band has on the website. Turns out this band is only one of nearly 4 the guys have going. The band used to go by the name "Radical Face Versus Phalex Sledgehammer"

no seriously-

Favorite tracks include

Good Morning, Hypocrite
Grand Machine No. 12
We Were Never Built to Last

check out the guys webpage radicalface.com to get more amaizing music including a "hip-hop" project they have

Electric President's self titled debut is nothing short of breathtaking. Comprised of electronic drums and synths, soft acoustic and loud electric guitars, and boyish vocals "Electric President" combine indie-rock staples to create an instantly familiar yet fresh sound.

The singer sounds like a cross between The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne and Death Cab/Postal Service's Ben Gibbard, two obvious influences. Its impossible to listen to this record without hearing The Postal Service's "Give Up" as a blueprint. Other major influences include Yo La Tengo (the guitars) and Modest Mouse (the lyrics).

Any and all fans of The Postal Service will love this album, perhaps even more than "Give Up". While not every song on the album is great, there aren't any real duds. Overall I haven't come across an album I've liked this much in months, highly reccommended!

I listened to an advanced copy of this way back in November and think that this guy will eventually achieve Sufjan Stevens-level critical and popular acclaim. The guy obviously has a beautiful soul and it shines through, especially on tracks like "Insomnia." Once Pitchfork weighs in favorably on this album he will be the toast of the indie world.

amazing album. get it. put on the headphones. let it take you away. first thought when i listened was it was very radiohead-esk.. It has parts that make you go "What was that!" Ten thousand lines is an excellent track. I still haven't gone all the way threw this album and i already know i love it.

I just discovered this band the other day and love it! I hate all the comparisons online to postal service, because it's not that mopey at all, but if you like postal service, you'll probably like this. It's just this wonderful mixture of moods and layers. It's light, cheerful, quirky, laid-back, amusing. It's a record that I can listen all the way through without getting bored, which happens so often, too often these days. However, the first track "Good Morning Hypocrite" really stands out, as does "Grand Machine No. 12." But all the songs are great. I highly recommend this and am so glad that I found it!!
(Other music I really liked this last year: Why?, Broadcast, Wolf Parade, Ladytron, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Every Move a Picture, Lady Sovereign, Calla, Death From Above 1979)

I bought this cd after hearing the music to an Asics tennis shoe commercial. I absolutely LOVE the start of that song titled "Ten Thousand Lines." The whole cd is pretty cool to listen to. I wouldn't say it is one of my favorites but I got the music that I was wanting and that was what mattered!

Just want to start by saying you should buy this CD... but buy it elswhere. $26+ to ship a CD is too much. Get it at a local music shop for $12-15 and feel good about yourself.

I listen to this whenever I'm feeling bored of everything else and it gets me back to feeling like a million bucks. The opening buildup of 'Some Crap About the Future' still sends tingles down my spine years later. If you're looking for some awesome tracks to add to an Indie mix CD, this has about 8 worthy candidates and holds up great listening all the way through. There are times where the the synth/electronic bits sound a bit portal service like, but the comparison is mostly a stretch.

This is one of my favorite roadtrip CD's along with M83's self-titled. Give it a listen, and if nothing else... listen to 'Some Crap About the Future' all the way through and tell me with a straight face that you can live without it.

Ben Cooper and Alex Kane are the fantastic electric duo known as Electric President. Knowing their new release "Sleep Well" is on its way, I thought what better of a time to review this album?!

The simply self entitled album "Electric President" is as much philosophical in a sense as it is mesmerizing. The album is creative and well crafted. "Good Morning, Hypocrite" presents the duos poetic capabilities. My picks are "Insomnia" and "Metal Finger".

Great electronic album! Looking forward to their new release later this month!

This CD was all i expected it to be. After i heard this band on the OC, i decided to look up Electric President and eventually bought the CD. This CD is wonderful, and if you're thinking about buying i suggest you do.