Having teased us over the past few years with their contributions to Eskimo's compilation albums and a clutch of gorgeous electronic pop singles, Satin Jackets have finally removed the wrapper from their debut album, Panorama Pacifico.
Things start with a reimagining of the duo's hit track You Make Me Feel Good, simply re-titled Feel Good and with additional vocals from LA four-piece Scavenger Hunt. It retains all of the gloriously bowled over sentiment of the original but with some of the extra polish Satin Jackets have picked up since that track was originally released.
The rest of the album unfurls like a collection of hit singles - each track boasts an instantly accessible hook and the trademark sun-kissed Satin Jackets sound. Recent single We Can Talk maintains its tight percussion and string FX to create a slick piece of disco-influenced pop. Say You features an appearance from Jane Elizabeth Hanley, AKA Kids At Midnight, who described the song as "about being afraid of being happy". It's a cool record wrapped around an insistent desire to give happiness a chance.
Find Out represents one of Panorama Pacifico's more dramatic moments, Marble Sounds' Peter Van Dessel providing a heartfelt pleading vocal to "Shut your eyes and you'll find out..." In comparison to much of the music hear it feels like it draws more on 80s electro-pop more directly. The vocals, enveloped in melancholic synths, reference both the excited moments of receiving a surprise gift and the potential to comprehend more about our situation when we close down some of our senses.
Whilst most tracks feature guest appearances, there are exceptions. Cala Banana is an electro-funk influenced exercise in retrained house music - drums bask in their reverb and guitar riffs glisten in the heat. Similarly, the NTEIBINT featuring track Coast To Coast is full of dramatic strings and stirring baselines, all the better for it's minimalism.
Panorama Pacifico rounds things out with the duo's staples, Girl, Forever and the original version of You Make Me Feel Good... Effectively closing the album where it began, back where we started. It is almost indulgent, but they come as a full-stop to an album full of hits, and in closing the album here it feels like a generous reflection of everything Satin Jackets have given to fans of their style of electro soul, pop and disco. We are just one album in, but there is lots here to enjoy.
Panorama Pacifico is released on Friday on Eskimo. Check out Feel Good below: