Space March

Indieville Review

Space March is the synth-pop project of musician Craig Simmons, who is very gifted at crafting endlessly listenable, hook-filled ballads using only his voice and his doubtlessly complex set-up of electronic sound-makers and acoustic instruments. While the modern synth/electronic-pop scene is a relatively underground phenomenon nowadays, it is of very high quality – given a bit more attention, I could see a band like Space March really finding a large audience. This type of hook-laden, obsessively melodic pop would really fly well with indie fans.

The greatness of this album is best exemplified by “King of Nothing,” a beautiful pop tune filled with glistening synths and an electronic-orchestral background. This is how pop music should sound. But it doesn’t stop there. The Terminator-like melodies of “Conspiracy” are a revelation – as a song, it sounds like it belongs as the theme song to an eighties movie of some sort. Its Simple Minds-esque approach is sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face.

What makes this album so great is the absence of any bad parts. Every single tune on this disc is worthy of multiple listens, so there isn’t anything you have to skip over. Even the less memorable tunes like “Dorian Gray” and “Going Nowhere” stand up well over time, never becoming anything near boring.

It is rare that I dole out scores in the nineties, but this album has earned that honour perfectly. I wasn’t expecting to like Space March at all, but after two listens I couldn’t help myself. If you thought synth-pop was over, guess again.

Rating: 90%

Publication: Indieville
Issue: February 23rd, 2004
Reviewer: Matt Shimmer

100% Unnatural Review

In a pop scene rife with adolescent angst, ghetto rage, and naked lust, you got to admire any artist who dares to be as mature, intelligent, and quietly introspective as Craig Simmons (former half of the Australian synthpop duo Electrosquad) is on Space March. Rather than affecting a phony teenage sneer, Simmons confronts the creeping demons of age (“All the portraits on the wall / They had changed, not me at all”), loss, and regret (“I remember when things were normal / And the story had no end…”) with appropriately mellow reserve. While it may not appeal to kids looking for another hit of musical adrenaline, Space March will satisfy those seeking more than just a cheap thrill.

Which isn’t to say that Space March doesn’t rock. Dispensing with the Erasure-worship of Electrosquad’s debut Espionage and the John Barry spy-movie-soundtrack ambitions of their follow-up Operation K, Space March is as straightforward a rock record as any album based primarily on synthesizers and samples can be. There’s even some bluesy guitar on “Big Joe” and a bit of wanky, rockstar organ soloing towards the end of “Normal” – which would be unforgivable coming from John Spencer or Dave Matthews, but is a refreshing display of musicianship for a synthpop act.

And, next to the lyrics, that’s the best thing about Space March – the musicianship. Too many electronic bands grow so infatuated with the technical aspect of their craft that their music has more in common with COBOL and C++ than rhythm and blues. Not so with Space March: Beatle-isms abound throughout the record, from the twisting sitars on the brief “Prelude” to the walking blues riff and cynical-yet-whimsical lyrics (“Like a mouse on a wheel / my progress is hard to see”) on “Breathe” that seem lifted from a John Lennon solo album. And even the tracks that skate closer to trip-hop and synthpop (“King of Nothing”, “Teacher’s Crying”) remain dedicated to the concept of three chords and a tune.

In all fairness, Space March probably isn’t the best introduction to Simmons’ sharp songwriting and synthesizer skills (that distinction still belongs to Operation K). Of the ten songs here, only “Dorian Gray” and “Conspiracy” have the energy and panache of his earlier work. However, anyone who’s already tuned into Simmons’ quirky wavelength, and is willing to sit still through the unhurried build-up, will quickly come to appreciate Space March’s finer points.

Rating: 8(of 10)

Publication: 100% Unnatural – The Poptronica Webzine
Issue: September 2003
Reviewer: Emil Hyde

Splendid Review

Space March is the appropriately titled solo project from Craig Simmons, he of Australian synth pop duo ElectroSquad. On the obscure side to most, Simmons has made a mark on the electonic pop scene and continues to provide subversive goodies to its rabid niche of followers without the aid of marketing budgets and promotion. Space March represents a divergence from the synth pop model, delivering a parallel blend of catchy songwriting and machine-aided construction while adding enough humanness to cross over to audiences that still sniff when they hear the name “Depeche Mode”.

While Space March could have been written on a Mac and Cubase setup, it plays like a rock album. Forgoing bleep bloop symmetry and a plastic finish, Simmons simulates a team of session players with authentic drum kits and basslines that take his one-man productions beyond their usual territory and into a land of electronically-informed space rock. There are even some guitar chops here, showing off a range of sparse plucking, meandering leads and beefy chord progressions; it’s all very complimentary to an engaging, elusive sound that falls somewhere in the realm of Beatlesque Britpop via Spiritualized psychedelia.

Simmons has a clean, pleasant voice, which he uses to great effect. On tracks such as “Normal”, he surrounds his wry lyrics with swirling Leslie-inflected Hammond organs, jaunty guitar and slighty distorted blues piano riffs. “I Am The Law”, a highlight, marries a delightfully repetitious chorus to a sleek groove and a mind-altering sonic squiggle. “Going Nowhere” delves deeper into organ-centric pastures, romping within an ’80s sheen, replete with female moans and an irresistible whistle call-and-response. “Dorian Grey” is another standout, featuring percolating rhythms and spiraling analog sequences that recall OMD.

Space March never pushes the heavy-handedness meter into the red; Simmons prefers to invite us in with direct and functional frameworks driven by unaffected, starry-eyed melody and spectral opiates. Whether it’s a case of stretching his limits or giving his music some meaty lift, he does a great job of taking the focus away from his electronic elements while delivering some really engaging material in the space rock continuum. If there’s a complaint, it’s that Space March hits its creative ceiling about halfway through, which explains the album’s somewhat samey quality. Then again, Simmons’s core sound is so successful from the get-go that a little familiarity doesn’t do much harm.

Publication: Splendid
Issue: December 11th, 2003
Reviewer: Walt Miller

Synthpop.NET Review

This is the new side-project for 1/2 of the (now defunct) band Electrosquad, Craig Simmons. The cd finds him exploring even more of the mid-to-late sixties influences in his music, while remaining true to the synthetic core of his sound. You’re probably going to get tired of reading this, but I find a much more prominent mid-to-late Beatles influence in the music now. However, unlike the last Electrosquad album, in which the direction really served to annoy me, I found myself really enjoying the unique approach taken here.

The best word I can think of to describe several of these songs is… groovy. They certainly have groove to them, and I often find myself just kicking back and letting the music flow. “Dorian Gray” is easily the best song of the bunch. I’ve loved this song since I first heard it. It immediately seems like you are familiar with this song.. and yet it’s all-new. “I Am The Law” is a neat song that speaks to how government and media, etc shape our lives. It’s also the only time the Australian accent is really noticeable, with a extra r-sound tacked onto “law”. “Teacher’s Crying” is one of those ballads that can stay with you for days.. uber-catchy chorus coupled with depressing lyrics yield a unforgettable song. “Merry Go Round” has a really cool intro – the best compliment I can pay it is that it forms a picture of a Merry-Go-Round in my mind instantly. A great track.

While this album may not be for all tastes, it’s really a excellent achievement in electronic pop music, and you really should give it a try! Highly Recommended!

Rating: 4.5 stars out 5

Publication: Synthpop.NET
Date: March 2nd, 2004
Reviewer: Jason Baker