Planet Pop

Proud I am of anything I've bought on grounds other than what's the actual content of the thing. Of ATC I became interested by seeing a some seconds long clip in an MTV dance collection advertisement. As I remember, their song wasn't even playing, but from those seconds from their Around the World video I realised their music must be good, so I went and bought the album, and it really was. With two men and two women dancing synchronizedly in uniform clothes, can you go wrong? This album is really homogenous quality-wise, its power goes on through all of it and not just the biggest hits.

#1 Introducing ATC

Why do they do these talking tracks? They don't quite work when you shuffle...

#2 Around the World 9½

Simple but oh so good. No actual message, no great musical innovation, just stuff that works. The original Pyku Bbexp version is very good as well, but why didn't they themselves make an English version and conquer the world back then?

#3 My Heart Beats Like a Drum 9½

Many new artists try to replicate their first hits but in terms of similarity you can hardly get closer than this. When it begins after AtW, it sounds just like a modulated version of it. However, I've always quite like this a bit better. The video has great colours and the choreography is one of those I'd most like to learn in Video Clip Dancing. Poor Tracy has her regular "awful facial expression" moment but the men have comestible clothes.

#4 Thinking of You 7½

And this bore they chose as their third single instead of the much more interesting Mistake no.2? The lyrics in the chorus say it all: "Thinking of you / I'm thinking of you / All I can do / Is just think about you / Thinking of you / I'm thinking of you / Whenever I'm blue / I'm thinking of you".

#5 Until 9½

What a great atmosphere! This should've been their fourth single instead of the aptly titled Why Oh Why. I just love that dreamy synth...

#6 Mistake no.2 10

Great midtempo ballad that would further benefit from less static vocal performance. I know it's the chords again that make this song so good but that's just the way it is. And their not releasing this was their mistake no.1.

#7 Why Oh Why 8

Not bad but quite empty, just like ToY.

#8 Without Your Love 7½

All the way through this album is an interesting mix of dance and ballads, with only one track somewhere between. This is one of the weaker ballads, though it has a very good modulation.

#9 So Magical 8

Another empty-atmosphered dance track. And empty are the lyrics as well: "Life is good / Life is fun", "Ladidaa, ladidii..."

#10 Notte d'amore con te 8

How refreshing to hear a latin song with an Italian title for a change! And the words are certainly correctly pronounced as Livio is a native (not to say anything about his English, though... "Sink with me..." :] )

#11 Mind Machine 9

Very atmospheric, dreamy and airy. As appropriately, it tells about travelling through the atmosphere, though probably the atmosphere of the mind?

#12 Let Me Come & Let Me Go 8½

The token different ballad of the album, with rocky guitars that however never quite get going. Has some air of a 60's classic...

#13 Lonely 8½

It's the sign of a good album to have stuff this good this far into it. And so far there have been no really weak moments, except maybe for ballads 3 and 7. The real weak spot, however, is still to come...

#14 Lonesome Suite

#15 Love Is Blind 9

This used to be my second favourite on the album. Is it still that? Maybe not but it's still very good. Those chords again... and a very good D part.

#16 With You 5

Oh my, this must be one of the worst ballads I've ever heard. Not by far near being the one I like the least but this is more like being one that no one really likes. Poor things, this was written by them themselves... Not much of composers, are they?

#17 Heartbeat Outro

#18 My Heart Beats Like a Drum (International Radio Edit) 9½

This is only a slightly different version, the biggest change being the absence of the melody in the beginning, probably to avoid instant association with AtW.