Browsing Tag

Synth Pop

Urban Café Crew cruised through 80s nostalgia and became sonic heartthrobs in their latest single, Movin’ Down I39

Posted on 24 July 2024

It’s all gas and no brakes in Urban Café Crew’s latest single, ‘Movin’ Down I39’, which exudes a striking blend of 80s Hollywood glamour and heart-throb vocals that make the driving anthem impossible not to groove with.

With the opening sounds of engines revving against strident piano chords that are augmented by Blockbuster nostalgia, you’re instantly susceptible to the lyrics that compel you to seize the moment while the rhythmically magnetic progressions seize your pulses and evoke panoramic images of a guy driving to get the girl. The propulsion of the pulsating beats transcends auditory ingenuity to craft a visual masterpiece that you’ll never get tired of revisiting.

We didn’t need any more evidence of the Australian-based collective’s cultivated songwriting stripes after hearing their Christmas earworm and the eternally endearing single, Hey There Boomer, It’s Not OK. Yet, now that Movin’ Down I39 is here, it only cements their ability to produce hits that sweep you up in their infectiously soulful intensity; it’s the most syncable single I’ve heard this year.

Movin’ Down I39 was officially released on July 17; stream the single on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

In Our Sea electrified the airwaves with their rhapsodically eclectic alt-indie single, When You Kissed Me I Went Numb

Posted on 15 July 2024

The third album, Flowers! Swallow Me!, from the inimitably rhapsodic and harmonically euphonic outfit, In Our Sea, has landed, introducing one of the most infectious singles to date from the architects of unpretentious alt-indie.

If you took the jangle pop guitars of Johnny Marr, the sticky-sweet synthy sensibilities of Yo La Tengo, the kaleidoscopic colour of the Beatles and the innovatively rhythmic flair of The Violent Femmes, you’d be left with a soundscape as electrifying as the standout single, When You Kissed Me I Went Numb. The lyrically avant-garde celebration of pure and innocent passion hits as hard as any of the tracks on Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea LP. With the unbridled self-effacing energy that’s poured into the single by the smorgasbord, it is impossible not to fall for In Our Sea, melodic hook, line, and sinker.

When You Kissed Me I Went Numb was officially released on July 5th with the Flowers! Swallow Me! LP; stream it on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Midnight Affairs unleashed their infectiously erratic alt-indie earworm, Blame It on You

Posted on 1 July 2024

For their sophomore release, Blame It on You, the Auckland pop/rock trio, Midnight Affairs, launched a hyper-frenetic hit that affronts the senses with a glitchwavey saturated in delay electro-pop intro before bringing in sticky-sweet neon-lit synth carved melodies which transcend the new wave indie pop trends to implant the independent artist’s sound in unchartered territory few would be bold enough to sonically roam in.

The lamentation of how memories of infatuation can become unescapable haunting spectres which could lead the sanest of minds to the brink of madness anchors the high-octane anthem of mental disquietude in visceral resonance to vindicate the romantically scorned and attest to the independent artist’s ability to render raw emotions into their superlative sound.

The intensity of the production, how deep the hooks sink in, and the infectiously erratic earworm appeal of Blame It on You will undoubtedly see Midnight Affairs go far. With a 5-track EP due for release later this year, Midnight Affairs becoming New Zealand’s premier indie pop rock band isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Blame It on You is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bask in the euphoric rays of Ami Leigh’s 80s synth pop allegory of love, You Give Me Such a Feeling

Posted on 22 June 2024

Trying to predict Ami Leigh’s next move is as futile as mapping out a dreamscape; the County Durham-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s perpetually fluid sonic signature is always in flux. Her latest single, You Give Me Such a Feeling, captures the chameleonic songstress at her most unflinchingly amorous.

While her discography may already be an arsenal of hits that play with light and shade, with some tracks that linger in the darkness before locking into the warmth of heartfelt sentiment, You Give Me Such a Feeling swims in ethereal dream pop bliss, leaving you under no illusion of the sincerity of the release.

The Cure’s influence echoes in the opening guitar lines, before the lush with 80s synth-pop nostalgia melodies ebb and flow beneath Ami Leigh’s tender-to-the-heartstrings harmonies. As soon as you slip into the serene escapism of You Give Me Such a Feeling, it will be hard to know where your emotions end and Ami Leigh’s start.

Instead of relying on the British weather to bring sun-soaked serotonin, make this single a playlist staple and get your fill of iridescent euphoria.

You Give Me Such a Feeling was officially released on June 14; stream the single on Spotify and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spyndycyt entered the industry as a zany indie pop enigma with ‘MysteryBoy’.

Posted on 20 June 2024

Spyndycyt’s seminal single, ‘MysteryBoy‘, kicks off with a short sermonic acapella narration of abstract lyrical poetry before the beat and scintillatingly strobing synths consume the track in true electro-pop style.

Yet, ‘MysteryBoy’ is far from your average pop fare. It fuses Jack White-esque aesthetics with Suicide-reminiscent indietronica and an eccentricity scarcely heard in the contemporary music industry. If Lou Reed lost all sense of restraint and approached his sound with unadulterated expression, you’d undoubtedly be treated to an exhilarant zany hit in the same vein as ‘MysteryBoy’.

Even after this soul-baring release, Spyndycyt remains somewhat of an enigma behind his avant-garde production that’s rampant with infectious zeal. His approach to music is intriguingly unconventional, but don’t get it twisted, though he may blaze through his productions driven by fantasies that far exceed his abilities, the result is a mould-breaking riot of rhythmically-charged euphoria.

His raw, almost naive touch, brings a unique authenticity to his work that seekers of fresh and boundary-pushing hits will want to devour. Break away from the mundane and predictable and hit play.

MysteryBoy was officially released on June 12th; stream the single on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

December Fades reached the pinnacle of synthwave seduction in his latest single, With You

Posted on 14 June 2024
December Fades

LA singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist, December Fades, has delivered what will undoubtedly be revered as the most seductive synthwave sound of the summer with his latest single, With You.

The moody reverberations beneath the transcendent tones emulating from the glassy synths which echo the neon-lit euphoria of the Weeknd create a scintillating contrast while simultaneously injecting profound depth into the unfiltered passion in the love song that invites you to witness the darkness beyond the light of connection.

With all the makings of a radio-ready perennial pop earworm and the sincerity of a soul-bleeding candour in its rawest form, With You broke the summer pop mould. The single stands as a testament to December Fades’ affecting approach to rendering romanticism into his productions which may drift between styles but they always arrive on the airwaves with cinematic flair, infectious melodies, and lyrics sharp enough to tear their way through the coldest of souls.

Stream With You on all major platforms, including Spotify, from June 14.

For more ways to listen and connect with the artist, check out December Fades’ official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

$chaff the Prophet – TELEPHONE: The Cosmic Psych-Trap Track You Won’t Be Able to Put Down

Posted on 13 June 2024

$chaff the Prophet burst through the bubblegum pop trend and established his own cosmic bubblegum psych trap niche with his second LP for 2024, PSYCHEDELIC BUBBLEGUM.

The standout single, TELEPHONE, is an electrifying synth-driven kaleidoscopic synthesis of 8Bit, trap, hyperpop, and Owl City-esque electronica. If the viscerally hued sonics of the track don’t ensnare you, $chaff the Prophet’s sticky-sweet approach to painting a neon-lit vignette of a lonely protagonist searching for connection while keeping social life in the palm of her hand hits hard enough to bruise.

The exposition of how easy it is to get “lost in information, pixels and tones” couldn’t hit closer to home now given the hyperconnected nature of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. The artist’s signature arpeggios lend themselves effortlessly well to the playful yet empathy-evoking production, which shows just how far $chaff the Prophet has come since the launch of his debut in 2019. Now 11 LPs deep, his authentic sound has become so cultivated that he deserves to be revered as a pioneer in his own right.

TELEPHONE is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lose your head and your heartbreak on the dancefloor with Sam Macdonald’s nu-disco hit, I Wanted More

Posted on 2 June 2024

80s synth pop vicariously lives and breathes through Sam Macdonald’s latest nu-disco hit, I Wanted More, which is a testament to the artist and producer’s cultivated talent, honed while studying music production at Leeds Conservatoire.

Hit play and be force-fed ear candy through the synthesis of the rhythmically compulsive disco grooves and the 80s Madonna-esque vocals that don’t stop at soaring above the production; the passion within them wraps around the track like an incandescent aura you will want to bask in time and time again.

The euphoria within the fiery neon-lit tour de force, which finds a vindicating way to address the dejection of not being able to meet unrealistic romantic expectations ensures that anyone who has been burnt by that particular old flame before will be able to lose their head and heartbreak on the dancefloor with this flawless hit.

I Wanted More was officially released on May 10th and is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Starleen alchemised the key to self-liberty in their electronic alt-pop salve for the soul, Let Me Go

Posted on 23 May 2024
Starleen

Starleen’s latest single, Let Me Go, marks a must-read chapter in the San Antonio duo’s career, showcasing a transcendent synthesis of alt-electronica, trip-hop, soul, and pop, which elevates the listener into a state of auditory bliss and liberty.

From the outset, the track envelopes you in a cocoon of lush dream pop, slowly intertwining with elements of serene yet visceral avant-garde trip-hop to deliver a fusionist sound that is as revolutionary as it is ethereally beguiling. Once the single reaches its full rhythmic momentum, the backbone of Let Me Go becomes its robust and fiery backbeat, which propels the track forward, complemented by layers of sonorous synths that build a crescendo of sound, mimicking the uplifting process of self-liberation.

The masterful production sets the stage for the vocal mettle of Starleen Holmes, whose voice shifts effortlessly between crystalline harmonies and powerful outpours of emotion, matching the sonic complexity crafted by Zachary Holmes, whose production skills shine luminously throughout the track. Each note and beat in Let Me Go is skilfully placed, leaving the listener wide open to the message of the sanctity of freedom; especially when that freedom is by your own hand.

The official music video accompanying the sanctifying ritual of a release mirrors the song’s themes of freedom and self-discovery and is likely to add another accolade to Starleen’s collection of music video awards.

Stream Let Me Go on all major platforms, including Spotify, from May 23rd.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nadine Finsterbusch Reclaimed Her Story & Embraced the Defiance of Youth in Her Alt Electro-Pop Debut LP, ‘My Space’

Posted on 21 May 2024

Nadine Finsterbusch’s debut LP, “My Space,” marks a fearless foray into alt-electro-pop territory, reflecting her determination to carve out her own niche. This album defies societal expectations for women her age, presenting an impetuous embrace of youth and raw emotion. At 44, the Berlin-based artist confronts the challenges that have defined her adulthood—early menopause, breaches of trust, and failed friendships—with a fresh, optimistic outlook reminiscent of youthful defiance.

The album’s 11 tracks are a rich synthesis of indietronica, pop, and rock, juxtaposing bitter realities with lush, harmonious tones. Finsterbusch’s voice, with its innocent yet vehement timbre, evokes the early influence of Björk This influence is unmistakable in the way her vocals weave through the album, combining playful innocence with a resolute sense of self.

“My Space” is a deeply personal narrative; Finsterbusch’s collaboration with producer Ramin Bijan provides the perfect backdrop for her introspective lyrics. The album was mastered by Dave Cooley, whose credentials include working with Tame Impala and Animal Collective, ensuring a polished yet authentic sound.

The lead single, “Why So Serious”, encapsulates the album’s ethos, inviting listeners to embrace their emotions without irony, much like teenagers do. Finsterbusch’s journey to this realisation—spurred by listening to Agust D’s “People”—adds ample to her work, underpinning her desire to enjoy the creative process and share that joy with her audience.

In “My Space,” Finsterbusch successfully balances sweetness without naivety and agony without ennui, creating a lyrically nuanced and emotionally resonant album. This work stands as a testament to her untainted dignity and her ability to transform personal adversity into compellingly relatable art. “My Space” is a triumph of self-expression, inviting listeners to reclaim their own spaces of joy and reflection.

Stream the album on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast