Whether they care to distance themself from their famous father or not,
Eliot Sumner sounds so uncannily like
Sting that it's difficult to squelch the comparisons. Their full-bodied and smoky voice is striking and undeniably similar, and yet they manage to elevate themself beyond easy comparisons with quite a debut album. Fans of their previous outfit,
I Blame Coco, will hear a little of the bright electro-pop found on that 2010 release (especially on "What Good Could Ever Come of This"), but six years later,
Sumner has found their true self. Or at least a closer version of it. Darker, more real, and more intense,
Information is the sound of a young, Krautrock-loving artist finding an identity and distilling the essence of their own artistic voice. Sure, some songs might immediately set off the nostalgic alarm for
Sting/
Police fans, like on the excellent "After Dark" and its sibling track, "Firewood," but there are other influences at play. The sprawling shimmer of the title track suggests tinges of early
Killers synth-rock and
Lorde's androgynous goth-pop, while the muscle of the stomper "Halfway to Hell" hints at bold arena-rock glory. "I Followed You Home" swirls with emotionally urgent synth bliss in a driving mix of
Silversun Pickups and
Metric shooting for the moon. "Come Friday" is equally as euphoric, soaring to exciting heights that seem to have been unlocked in the years since
Coco. Throughout, there is a sense of suspense, even anxiety, as
Sumner seems on the cusp of fully realizing their sonic vision. It's refreshing and exciting to witness the process of claiming self and identity, both as a musician and a person. On closing track "Species" -- a spooky drum loop that vibes like
New Order's "Blue Monday" with a
Radiohead heartbeat -- they challenge identity, gender, and sexuality, forgoing labels and refusing the easy pigeonhole. Throughout this solid debut -- free of distractions and associations --
Sumner sheds their past musical experiments and proves that they're more than just a famous name.