Photo by Cameron Wittig

Eau Claire record label Amble Down made a splashy acquisition this past week, announcing that it has signed Halloween, Alaska to its roster. The Minneapolis electro-pop outfit is no stranger to the area, having played very well attended shows at the House of Rock after each of its three albums, earning quite a following in the Chippewa Valley. With the August 30 digital dropping and September 20 CD and LP release of All Night the Calls Came In, we can hope for yet another packed, powerful performance from the group.

The upcoming album was reportedly recorded in one room over the span of a week, which comes as a surprise to longtime fans who have come to expect collections of songs crafted and recorded over longer periods of time to shiny perfection. The first single, “Dance By Accident,” reflects this difference, showing off a few of the familiars, featuring heavy synth, deep, brooding bass, colorful guitar licks, and organic beats mixed with digital elements, yet it hits listeners with a few simpler surprises. James Diers reaches heights previously unheard from the dynamic singer, stretching his range to its highest point in the part of the song acting as a subdued chorus. “I don’t know how to move around you,” he sings. “Going to try to transcribe a recipe from nothing juice.” The song, though still navigating through many parts and moving from dark to light places, is one of the group’s most straight-forward yet, signalling a transition to a more rock based formula and outlook, while still capitalizing on Halloween, Alaska’s digital-pop strengths and tendencies.

All Night the Calls Came In is the direction the group has been headed for the past few years, from highly synthesized on their debut self-titled album and sophomore LP, Too Tall to Hide, to more guitar friendly on their last effort, Champagne Downtown. It’s exciting news to hear that Amble Down is releasing such a big album, and one that represents the development and growth of one of the Twin Cities’ very best bands. We’ll be following this one, so stay tuned for updates.

Check out the first single below via this really cool, if not distracting, Soundcloud player.