A R I Z O N A - GALLERY

A R I Z O N A
GALLERY
2017
Spotify

GALLERY is the debut album from New Jersey based trio A R I Z O N A. They work with big Tropical House beats then shift that into an all out Pop sound. The formula is pretty clear and they stick to it quite hard. The results are great pop tracks with huge hit potential, but an album full of these that tends to feel overwrought. Because Arizona have capture such a pure pop sound, and have such a clear vision for the group it's hard to feel much difference in each track. The lyrics throughout the album mainly focus on love and loss, territory that has been done a thousand times before. That is the thing you really find yourself struggling with while listening to Arizona, you like it, but you can't shake the feeling that you have heard it countless times before. Still though the grooves are so slick and the production so razor sharp that you can't help but bop along, maybe even do a few spins here and there. Arizona just have this command over a bright pop song that is incredible, I just wish I could get more hyped on it, but something is missing.  Single "Where I Wanna Be" absolutely soars with this raucous exuberance and has all the hallmarks of a great Tropical House Pop crossover, yet it just feels like it is missing that bang to really set it over the top.

Arizona actually feel like a cross between The Boxer Rebellion and Autograf, blending in the indie-pop and the electronic elements from both. The formula is just so dialed in that by the later tracks you can't help but feel bored. It makes sense with how much stock is put in singles today to take that approach, but when you listen to the whole album it ends up being an overwhelming amount of the same. "Brave Enough" sounds like it belongs on a Disney Animation Soundtrack playing as some Princess sprints to find her destiny. As I write that, and while listening to the song I really can't tel;l if that is a good thing or a bad thing, because i bet if this track actually did play during a Disney movie it would fucking rock. Arizona feel just right on the edge of everything, but they never break through and make a lasting impact. The record ends up being very well produced and with a strong sense of what good pop sounds like, but it missing that special something both lyrically and emotionally to really set it apart. A nice debut but with plenty of room for Arizona to grow.

6.0 out of 10