The Avalanches create another delicious sample pop masterpiece with "No Bad Memories": Album Review

Without exaggeration, when the Avalanches' debut album "Since I Lost You" arrived out of the blue in 2000 (to anyone outside their native Australia, anyway), it had the same effect as the arrival of the Beastie Boys' "Paul's Boutique" eleven years earlier: a mental leap forward, an example forward in the art […]

Without exaggeration, when the Avalanches' debut album "Since I Lost You" arrived out of the blue in 2000 (to anyone outside of their native Australia, anyway), it had the same effect as the Beastie Boys' "Paul's Boutique" had eleven years earlier: a mental leap forward made of artistic samples. 3,500 reported samples (and no live instruments) from Madonna's "Borderline" to old soul songs to deeply obscure songs, along with snippets of commercials, music, film or TV dialogue (notably the line "That boy needs therapy" in "Borderline Psychiatrist Knows What Else He Knows") and. Related Stories For the love of TV, please watch The Lowdown Season 2: TV Review Silver Express Review: Miki Tanaka's sensitive debut feature explores asexual and aromantic identity.

It sounds chaotic - sometimes it feels like both of your neighbors are having raging dance parties at the same time - but for all the PhD levels, DJ acrobatics and phonics heists, what really set it apart was the songwriting and distinctly upbeat sense of melody. Popular in Variety

It was hard work to follow, and about 15 years passed before the band re-emerged (as a duo) in 2016 with the equally expansive but song-based 'Wildflower' and just five years later, 'We Will Always Love You', both of which found the band using a wild array of guest vocalists from Biz: Markie to Karen O, Danny Brown to The Clash's Mick Jones and others. Sampling and sound bites are equally impressive, but serve the songs more than the background.

The band's new album, Not a Bad Memory, continues in that vein, with another line-up of impressive guests - veterans such as Jimmy XX, Panda Bear, Karen O, Faith No More's Mike Patton and even Carly Simon, along with relative newcomers Tracy Portraits, John Glasier, Barry Can't Get Down to their best songs. With some 31 tracks spread over nearly an hour, it's hard to pick individual highlights, but these include lead singles 'Together' and 'Every Single Weekend', as well as Loaded Honey's 'Final Credits' (which sounds surprisingly like an early '70s soul album) and especially 'One Lofter Fantasy, More Fantasy'. Melody and vocals above by Carly Simon - it's over too soon.

There's a recurring theme throughout, such as sounds from video games and 90s and 00s technology, and promotional pieces (the cover features an iPod and a floppy disk, with arms and legs tied, next to each other). If they could figure out a way to make Clippy, Microsoft's virtual assistant shaped like a paper clip, they probably could.

But most of all, this is one of the happiest albums you'll hear all year - Avalanches have a way with melodies and bubbling, hybrid sounds. With energetic beats and a humorous voice, the aptly titled No Bad Memories will light up any room it's in.