8-Bit Pitchfork review: A Link To The Past

Our favorite Japan-based dungeon darlings return this week with their third studio release: A Link To the Past. Known for catchy, vaguely-Medieval pop riffs, this group has achieved notoriety among those who appreciate the approachability of Big N's plumber franchise, but still crave the musicality of, say, Bomberman or Castlevania.

The album starts off with the lilting, lullaby-like Kakariko Village, which, although cloying, evokes a kind of pastoral simplicity that carries the track. Things pick up with the Hidden Mountain & Forest theme, with its driving waltz beat and strident strings.

Like any good pop LP, the heart of this album lies in its singles, Hyrule overworld theme, and Boss Battle. The latter's galloping drumroll call to mind MGMT's "Electric Feel" on John Philip Sousa steroids. You get the feeling that this track was written at the tail end of a bad trip in Lisbon, being chased by what seem like a polícia through dirty back alleys.

The album manages to weave together a batch of impossibly catchy earworms into a cohesive piece. Despite its slick veneer, there is a truth hiding under these MIDIs. A darkness. A longing. It is a masterpiece.

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