Soundtrack Review | Real Life--Imperfection
Reviewed by: Kage Alan

I’ve sometimes wondered if it’s a blessing or a curse that a group be remembered for one particular song of theirs over all others.  For Australia’s own Real Life, it would have to be “Send Me An Angel”.  Not only was it a hit in the mid 80s, but also again in 1989 when a new version was released.  Fortunately, Real Life is by far NOT a one hit wonder band and their early albums added a diverse number of hits to their resume.  1990’s “Lifetime” with its club friendly track “God Tonight” and (a personal favorite of mine) “Sister Sister” among others saw the last of one particular sound in favor of something very new on the horizon.

It took a while, but 1998 found the band releasing something as odd sounding to listeners as their cover art was to look at.  Slightly bizarre?  You bet.  “Happy” painted an electronic landscape ranging from the opening bombastic sound of “Everything Explodes” to the eerie “Deep Sleep” to the mesmerizing “Learning How To Breathe”.  Gone were the happy beats and dance influences of the 80s and here was a brand new chapter in the history of Real Life.  So, what did they do next?  Naturally, they followed their instincts and continued on further down this musical path of reinvention.

So, now we have their latest outing, “Imperfection”.  Trust me, the title is by no means a message from the band commenting on the album.  Rather, it’s the name of the opening (and most radio friendly) track.  As with the previous album’s “Everything Explodes”, it’s the perfect beginning to the CD.  “Celebrate” slows down a bit and starts off almost like an R&B song before vocalist David Sterry’s voice is blended with a synth accompaniment.  Very nice.  After another R&B start (one of the things I love about this album!), “We Shall Overcome” slows things down a bit more and offers a rather organic touch to the music than has been heard so far.

“Another Brick In My Head” is a bit darker with a techno edge while “I Love Love” offers a more of a friendly melody and rhythm.  It’s one of my favorites.  Next up is “Kamikaze”, the only other track that’s as upbeat as “Imperfection”.  It’s got a driving beat that segues beautifully into the next song’s opening.  “Painless” almost comes across as slightly ballad-like until the opening chords of “Babylon”.  Oddly enough, two of my favorite songs from the recent albums, “Learning How To Breathe” and “Babylon”, are about suicide.  Lovely.  Really, that’s not any insight into my life.  I just love the music!  The synth laden and spoken “Kiss Like This” is a pleasant change of pace while “Beautiful Thing” brings everything full circle and to a dramatic end

If there’s a weakness on “Imperfection” (and it’s a minor one), it’s the absence of additional upbeat material like the title track and “Kamikaze”.  This isn’t to say that the album is by any means boring or a downer.  It’s not.  It’s obvious that a great deal of time and effort went into the production, only there’s a heaviness to it that the faster tracks help balance out.

So, now that I’ve gotten all of that out of the way, you may be wondering where you can pick this little gem up.  While the record companies haven’t been kind to Real Life in the past, the band has certainly been opening up and making themselves available to their fans.  For this album and others as well as news and other surprises, check out the band’s website at www.reallifemusic.net .  Sometimes the only way to do something the right way is to do it yourself and Real Life has found that way.  Congrats, guys.  You’ve got a terrific album on your hands.

PS: I was just sent some information that might be of interest to North American listeners.  Real Life is working on a deal with A Different Drum (www.ADifferentDrum.com) to release a limited edition of “Imperfection” that will contain “some re-mixes, new tunes and limited edition stuff”.  Hopefully it will be ready to release towards the end of the year and may segue into the possibility of a summer tour by the group next summer.  Let’s hope!

Grade: A-