Capital Cities ‘In A Tidal Wave of Mystery’

Words by Brielle Cotelo

From the magic of Craigslist, the front men of the current indie electro-pop sensation, Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian, found each other. Both starting off as jingle writers, the two had a similar ambition and used their musical talents to form the group Capital Cities and a self-titled EP in 2011. It was not long before their work was streaming on the radio.

“I can show you love/in a tidal wave of mystery/you’ll still be standing next to me” are lyrics pulled from their hit single ‘Safe and Sound’ that is responsible for the escalation of this once underground L.A. bombshell. The track was first heard on their EP, which immediately spread like wild fire. ‘Safe and Sound’ found itself safe and sound on the #2 spot on the Hypemachine and #1 spot in South American radio and rightfully so. The popular track also landed itself as the song beginning their recent full-length album In a Tidal Wave of Mystery, setting the listeners up for fresh and organic tunes ahead.

The LP continues the electro pop feel with the upbeat tracks, just to name a few, ‘I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo’, ‘Center Stage’, and ‘Origami’. Their song ‘Farrah Fawcett Hair’ gives a psychedelic blast to the past with prominent 70’s influenced melodies. And boasting a guest appearance from Andre 3000 of Outkast, it’s no surprise that the track is easily something to groove to.

If you don’t feel like jamming out and want something more mellow, definitely tune into the track ‘Lazy Lies’. The title itself initiates the calm sounds that you will find here to unwind from the high-energy tracks that came before it.

Unique is not only a word I would use to describe how the band came to be but for the songs that you will encounter on this LP. Capital Cities is not scared to be funky and for that reason alone, the band can stand as an individual in the music scene.