Review: Class Actress – Movies
National Music Reviews
Class Actress
Movies
Casablanca Records / Republic Records
Street: 06.23
Class Actress = Phantogram + Banks + Tove Lo
A former aspiring actress, Class Actress vocalist Elizabeth Harper favors ’80s-style synths as a tribute to that decade in cinema to back up her haunting vocals. However, it is the tracks that stray away from said ’80s-pop aesthetic that seem to be her strongest. “More Than You” is the most memorable piece on the EP. Unfortunately, everything else seems lackluster in comparison, even “GFE,” a collaboration with Neon Indian, which is pleasing, but lacks any depth. Title-track “Movies” is beautifully trance-like, but I can’t ignore the fact that it seems like a direct emulation of Lana Del Rey. Class Actress clearly has a niche for the dark pop audience, but influences from other artists are a little too obvious in her work. –Ali Shimkus