Can a song nearly 20 years your senior determine your future? That is certainly the case for Ian Devaney from Nation of Language. When Devaney’s prior band, the Static Jacks, dissolved, he found himself in his father’s car listening to “Electricity,” by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. It was a song Devaney hadn’t heard since his childhood, and inspired him to play around on his keyboard. He ended up writing something similar, and thus, Nation of Language was born.
The Nation of Language trio, comprised of Devaney, Aidan Noell and Alex MacKay (who filled the absence of Michael Sue-Oi when they left in 2022), has released three albums since 2020. Their fourth album, Dance Called Memory, is out this Friday.
Dance Called Memory lures you in from its opening track, “Can’t Face Another One.” From that point on, what you hear is a clear advancement in the band's creativity and vision. The band's much-improved layering of synthesizers creates a rich sonic texture that, accompanied by Devaney’s soft lead vocals and Noell’s dreamy background vocals, leaves you with a feeling that you’re floating through space. You feel this cosmic amusement ride vibe through the entire the album, though it's best exemplified with the fifth track, "I’m Not Ready for the Change."
The second half of the album starts with lead single “Inept Apollo” (which has been one of our summer favorites here at Studio One). Its lush synths and pristine production are transportive to a different time. In a way this track also plays as the perfect introduction to Nation of Language, and would be my go-to song to introduce new listeners to the band. Wrapping up A Dance Called Memory is the final track, “Nights of Weight,” which releases us listeners back to gravity, as we're lowered down to reality with a gentle guitar strum.
While you can’t physically take this roller coaster through the cosmos, Dance Called Memory does make the perfect soundtrack for your lonely late-night drive. Paired with passing headlights, flashing traffic lights and the faint neon glow of closed supermarket signs, the synthesizers and gentle vocals help transport your mind to a peaceful, meditative zone. Just be careful you’re paying attention to your surroundings.
