Olympic Ayres is everything we love about disco's recent return to relevance. We've seen many attempts to recreate sounds of the past, and more times than not, they simply fall short, but Olympic Ayres has greatly distanced themselves from this trend by focusing on a new sound that's distinctly their own. After years of musical growth, too, the Sydney-based duo has finally found and embraced their individual style, and the result of their efforts is the sun-soaked, highly danceable EP, Leisureplex. Half of the songs on the six-track EP were released as singles, and in case they've somehow flown by your radar, we'll quickly cover them now, because they're far too good to be passed over. The first single to be released was "Take Flight", a glimmering, cheery work guided mainly by infectious electric guitar riffs. Next, the band unveiled a song that quickly became one of the many anthems of our summer, "Control", and in only three months, the catchy track racked up over 400,000 plays on SoundCloud. Finally, just three weeks ago, the band let loose "Say My Name", in all of its synth-scattered, grandiose glory. If you have been up to date with Olympic Ayres' work, however, then all of your attention will surely be focused on their three new tracks, each of which is as remarkable as their previous releases. "We Can Learn" is the first new track featured on the EP, and it stays true to the duo's upbeat disco sound while also incorporating some elements that they've only used sparingly thus far, such as warm piano chords and subtle synths. The vocal style definitely hits a strong throwback sound, even drawing a slight comparison to those of the Bee Gees, yet again, they certainly make everything about this song their very own. "Sunshine" is next up, and it successfully provides another angle to Olympic Ayres' sound through some dreamy synths (though it does still contain the act's staple electric guitar riffs). In the EP's concluding effort, "We Can't Get Away", a slightly mellower side of Ayres' sound is disclosed, and it moves along at a somewhat leisurely pace unlike most of their rapid-tempo efforts. Summer might be over for many of us now, but Leisureplex's sun-soaked songs should still be listened to avidly regardless of climate. They can definitely bring a few summery rays to wherever you may be, and brighten whatever dull or drab environment you find yourself fixed within. You can purchase Leisureplex on iTunes if you live in the United States or Australia, but make sure you stream the entire project here on HD.
Olympic Ayres