[rating=6.0]
Filled with sun-drenched melodies, dreamy aesthetics and a whole lot of echoing sounds and fantastical flourishes, it is obvious to anyone listening to the sophomore release from Imaginary Cities that singer Marti Sarbit and songwriter Rusty Matyas had an absolute ball making this record. It doesn’t necessarily fall into any particular genre, as elements of piano pop, rock, new wave and folk make appearances, but the variety doesn’t detract from the experience.
The swelling mid-tempo number “All the Time” makes for a dramatic picture about the time we make for the ones we love, and on the otherworldly hidden track “Still Waiting So Cold,” Sarbit and Matyas sound more than a little like She & Him. “Chasing the Sunset” is a gorgeous pop number that sounds like an atypical summer anthem, and the driving piano pop of “Bells of Cologne” is simultaneously epic and anthemic in its delivery. And on the funky “Silver Lining” the duo showcases their lyrical depth by writing about not giving up in spite trials, especially when people expect you to do so.
Fall of Romance is pure pop rock goodness that will have you smiling, humming and bopping along before you even know what’s happening. Sarbit and Matyas make a great team, lyrically and musically, and on the rare occasions where they combine their vocal talents the results are splendid as well.
