Public Service Broadcasting
The Race for Space
TEST CARD
6/10
It was 1962 when President Kennedy stood in Rice Stadium in Houston and inspired his audience to venture into space “because it is there.” With The Race for Space, London’s Public Service Broadcasting takes listeners back to that historic event in its opening (and title) track—featuring a powerful moment in JFK’s speech and surrounding it with the chanting choir vocals. Whether the duo is escalating anticipation with big electronic sounds (“Sputnik,” “Go!”) or creating ethereal soundscapes (“Valentina”), every track is elevated upon its predecessor and delves further into the infamous Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union. “Gagarin” is a big, celebratory funk number (and an excellent nod to the Russian cosmonaut) with a brass band and may be the shining moment of the album. The band lifts its audience from present day, takes them back in time, and then pushes them through the atmosphere to the moon and back. Grab footage of your favorite space scenes, sit back, and enjoy.
