BMA Magazine Albums of 2011, Cut Copy - Zonoscope [Modular/UMA]

By the time the final synth wash of the epic 15-minute finale Sun God echoes out and ebbs away to signal the end of Cut Copy's third studio offering Zonoscope the Melbourne troupe's grand vision fully unfolds for the listener. For the last hour the Modular golden boys have offered up a bold collection of modern dance music done their way; from the dense electro throb of Corner Of The Sky to their note-perfect take on Madchester hedonism with Blink And You’ll Miss A Revolution to the sweet, with radio-bound pop songs like Where I’m Going and Take Me Over, the Cutters crew not only show a sleeker than ever gift for song craft but also a genuine versatility that most bands would do unmentionable things to borrow. On Need You Now the band nail perhaps their finest moment yet with a billowing synth build up and this super-charged croon that just kills me. What’s particularly impressive about Zonoscope is that it comes a decade on from Cut Copy’s genesis as just a solo sample-delica outfit for Dan Whitford. In that time Cut Copy’s developed into an almost unrecognisable new beast with Whitford and co growing into the most sophisticated party band on the planet. Bands like Cut Copy don’t come around very often and records as cohesive and realised as Zonoscope are even rarer.