Artist: Cut CopyAlbum: In Ghost ColoursRelease date: April 8Label: Modular

During the past few years, there has been an explosion of new wave electronic dance rock emanating from down under. Aussie acts like Muscles, Van She, the Presets and the Midnight Juggernauts have set the tone of the Melbourne/Sydney electro scene. Among these bands that have been tirelessly nibbling at the American hipster scene is Melbourne trio Cut Copy.

Cut Copy is coming off a nearly four-year hiatus to release the follow-up to its 2004 debut, Bright Like Neon Love. Entitled In Ghost Colours, the album continues to build upon the signature sound which Cut Copy had already perfected in its singular previous effort. If Daft Punk and Modern English (of the ’80s song “Melt With You”) had a child which was then raised by New Order, it would have Cut Copy’s sound.

The opening track, entitled “Feel the Love,” begins unassumingly with acoustic guitars backed by a drum beat. A major flaw with Cut Copy, which stems back to their debut, becomes glaringly obvious even in the opener.

The problem is mediocre lyrics, like the less-than-captivating “Feel the Love” hook: “All the girls are crying, boo-hoo, boo-hoo.” It seems the band is at its best during the lyricless synthesizer breakdowns, which leads the listener to wonder: Why even have vocals at all?

The bipolar nature of the band does have its high points as well. Guitar heavy tracks like “Unforgettable Season” and “So Haunted” allow Cut Copy to fit into a playlist between bands like The Strokes and Interpol.

Despite its inadequacies, when the fog and haze dissipate, In Ghost Colours is still an album filled with impossibly catchy hooks and beats which could force even the most stoic of hipsters to nod their head in time. Tracks like “Hearts on Fire” and “Lights and Music” have the potential to get stuck in your head for days at a time.

In the context of a debut, this album would be spectacular. However, after listening to In Ghost Colours, any fan of Cut Copy who is familiar with its debut will tell you that the band seems to be running over the same old ground. Cut Copy hasn’t changed its style at all, and rather than building on its debut, it leaves the listener pondering: Will this group be able to morph their sound to adapt to the changing musical climates, or will they become mired in a state of redundancy?