RÜFÜS DU SOL - 'Solace' [Album Review]

Following an extensive two year world tour that saw feature performances at Coachella and EXIT festivals, Australian electronic royalty RÜFÜS DU SOL have delighted fans with the release of their third album ‘Solace’ – a nine track offering that signifies a shift towards a darker soundscape compared to previous albums, but one that results in an extremely polished and well rounded record for the three piece.

The album commences with the uplifting ‘Treat You Better’, incepting with a soft and enlightening setting in the mix that allows for the gentle vocal stylings of Tyrone Lindqvist to captivate your senses immensely. With crisp harmonies building the intensity of the piece, RÜFÜS DU SOL pull the mix back before it can even take off with a deepened percussion breakdown catching everyone off guard before the trademark upbeat stylings we’ve all come to know and love come to fruition with a colourful display of positivity.

A darkened influence comes to light within ‘Eyes’, implemented through an ominous synth combining with the playful melodies that crescendo through the rising percussion which lead to an emphatic drop full of deepened bass and lively drums that centre around the infectiously catchy “I see myself in your eyes / I see you in everything” that gets etched into your membrane immediately. ‘New Sky’ evokes a deeper house influence through the driving percussion acting as the catalyst in the piece, combining with the brooding bass and echoed elements hidden in the background that transport you into a new odyssey.

Bringing forth a tribal sensation through the use of chanted gang vocals, ‘Lost In My Mind’ takes you on a warped journey full of arpeggiated synths that reverberate the piece intensely to inject the feeling of insanity across the mix. This is most apparent with the utilisation of distorted vocals thrown in and out of the piece that further accentuates the sense of instability throughout. ‘No Place’ lures you in with the ambiance of the gated pads blending in with the huskiness in the falsetto, which gently builds itself through a resounding depth in the synth composition matched through the rising intensity displayed in Lindqvist’s melodies. Once the lyric ‘There’s no place I’d rather be’ comes up, RÜFÜS DU SOL drop a contagious dance groove in the percussion on you that is accentuated through the brass sounds exemplifying the force within.

‘All I’ve Got’ builds through an airiness in the instrumentation, as well as a subtly groove in the percussion that moves into that deep house influence which meets sharp synths piercing through the mix for a vibrant climax, leading into the highlight of the album in ‘Underwater’. Returning with the echoed gang vocals, RÜFÜS DU SOL manipulate the production in the introduction to create a visual scenery of deep sea through clever rises and fades in the cutoff within the arpeggiated synths. Lindqvist’s raspy vocals sit perfectly as the catalyst for the unstable tone that the piece provides, raising the intensity via the echoed harmonies which partner with the splashes of resonating synths thrown in and out. The chorus showcases a mastery of production with a depth defying blend of electrified synths, driving percussion and the intensified gang vocals blending cohesively together without any elements overbearing each other.

The nine track album rounds out with two pieces of atmospheric delight in the form of ‘Solace’ and ‘Another Life’. The title track provides a momentary period of reprieve with a cinematic sound palate that sets out on an ambient journey with profound keys laying the foundations for Lindqvist to depict a tale of struggle with his signature husky delivery. For all fans who have been waiting for the ‘Solace’ equivalent of ‘Innerbloom’, RÜFÜS DU SOL sign off with the longest duration of the album in ‘Another Life’ – a 6 minute 40 second analogue sunset that encompasses an enriching nature in the synths whilst centralising itself on a driving percussion.

RÜFÜS DU SOL show in ‘Solace’ a sense of maturity in their sound whilst maintaining their roots which has seen them become the worldwide powerhouse they are today. Bringing forth a clean polish to an impressive blend of deep house and electronica, the three piece have provided a timeless soundscape for us to enjoy that will stand the test of time.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Australian fans can catch RÜFÜS DU SOL on their upcoming ‘Solace’ summer tour next year. Check out the dates below and register from presale tickets HERE.