''Soft Universe'' is the fourth
studio album by Australian electronic act
Pnau
Pnau ( ) is an Australian dance music trio originating from Sydney. The trio, a duo before 2016, consists of the musicians Nick Littlemore (vocals, production), Peter Mayes (guitar, production) and Sam Littlemore (production), with the latter j ...
. The album was released in July 2011 by
Etcetc
Etcetc Music is an independent record label based in Sydney, Australia. It is the label of alternative and electronic bands and artists Pnau, George Maple, Kilter, Paces, San Mei, Luke Million, CLYPSO, Luboku, and the Australian releases of Ja ...
and peaked at number 13 on the
ARIA Charts
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offic ...
; becoming the act's highest charting album to date. The album featured a new "rock-anthem" sound unlike the duo's straightforward electronic dance sound for which they were previously known.
At the
ARIA Music Awards of 2011
The 25th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) were a series of award ceremonies which included the 2011 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fin ...
, the album was nominated for
ARIA Award for Best Dance Release.
Reception
The album received generally positive reviews, with some claiming the release to be a solid follow-up to not only ''
Pnau
Pnau ( ) is an Australian dance music trio originating from Sydney. The trio, a duo before 2016, consists of the musicians Nick Littlemore (vocals, production), Peter Mayes (guitar, production) and Sam Littlemore (production), with the latter j ...
'', but also to
Empire of the Sun
''Empire of the Sun'' is a 1984 novel by English writer J. G. Ballard; it was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Like Ballard's earlier short story "The Dead Time" (published in the anthology ...
's ''
Walking on a Dream Walking on a Dream may refer to:
* ''Walking on a Dream'' (album), a 2008 album by Empire of the Sun
** "Walking on a Dream" (song), the album's title track
{{Disambiguation ...
'' and
Groove Armada
Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles "At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of w ...
's ''
Black Light'', both of which featured heavy involvement from
Littlemore
Littlemore is a district and civil parish in Oxford, England. The civil parish includes part of Rose Hill. It is about southeast of the city centre of Oxford, between Rose Hill, Blackbird Leys, Cowley, and Sandford-on-Thames. The 2011 Censu ...
.
Many critics, however, expressed mixed feelings concerning the new sound and direction, mostly in comparison to the duo's "quirky" sound and themes of their 2007 release.
Track listing
#"Everybody" – 4:53
#"Solid Ground" – 4:00
#"Unite Us" – 4:33
#"Twist of Fate" – 4:01
#"The Truth" – 4:55
#"Glimpse" – 4:19
#"Epic Fail" – 4:10
#"Better Way" – 3:29
#"Something Special" – 3:52
#"Waiting for You" – 4:26
#"True to You" – 3:57
Charts
Release history
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soft universe
2011 albums
Pnau albums