Tahiti 80 Look To The Past, The Present, The Possible

It's been five years now since Tahiti 80 decided to shed their cute cuddly indie pop image and in those five years we've seen the band become a completely different group. The tweeness that used to be their identity is most definitely gone and has been replaced by a boundless chameleon-like ability to embrace all kinds of sounds and influences. For, The Past, The Present, and The Possible, their fifth album proper, they've upped the energy, pushed up the beats to the front, and layered in the rich pop they are known for. The end result is a great album that sounds as modern as it does classic and completes the transition into one heck of a band.

With five albums and ten EP's under their belt, the band obviously has an idea of how to write a hit like they know how to breath...involuntarily. Their now legendary single, "Heartbeat," was a gargantuan indie hit and laid the groundwork for what Tahiti 80 was capable of a decade ago. Nearly eleven years on from that tune, they've honed their abilities to write an album with more than just one hit. In fact, The Past, The Present, and The Possible probably has at least four or five genuinely radio friendly, dance floor fillers on it.

They may have been sporadic in their songwriting in the past but on The Past, The Present, and The Possible, Tahiti 80 have solidified their talents and came up with a career defining moment here. They're simply the best at morphing acid house, R n' B, 60's and 70's pop, 80's synths, and hints of French pop into whatever they want. And they manage to take those key ingredients and sculpt songs like, "Crack Up (Extended)," "Defender," and "Nightmares." Those three songs are perfect examples of their boundless energy and dance floor filling songwriting ability. Add all that to a refreshed sound and you have a completely entertaining album that just does not disappoint.

Instantly catchy, chock full of great beats, filled with pop ingredients spanning decades, and most importantly great songs, The Past, The Present, and The Possible is a fantastic pop record. Over a decade into their career it's nice to see Tahiti 80 maintaining their stride, stretching their proverbial legs and coming up with a record they've always wanted to make. The Past, The Present, and The Possible is something that will make your heartbeat.