Browsing Tag

Synth Pop

The alt-rock nomad, Charlson, moved into darker synth rock territory with his single, Night Sounds IV

Posted on 14 October 2022

Alt-rock nomad Charlson bravely extended his synth-dripping single, Night Sounds IV, across an epic 7-minute duration. While that track length may make Gen Z recoil in fear, this 00s indie-loving millennial was absorbed by every dark synth-dripping progression.

With a similar vibe to Johnny Marr’s debut album, Night Sounds IV from the independent artist’s forthcoming album, Night Sounds. It’s an energetic introduction to Charlon’s new venture into indie rock territory. One which pays a nuanced ode to Poison Ivy’s decadence and the Generation Terrorists era of the Manic Street Preachers in the crunchy guitars in the second segment of the enduring cry in the dark before it breaks into an orchestral laced outro.

The high energy of the release that comes complete with synthy blues motifs is an apt sonic reflection of those feelings that plague us when our heads hit the pillow. It certainly won’t help you sleep, but it’s a gregarious extension of solidarity for anyone with haunted self-awareness. Jack Kerouac’s quote of ‘the only people for me are the mad ones’ certainly springs to mind.

Night Sounds is due for release on October 14th. Hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Juliette Irons bends the pop genre to breaking point in her viscerally confessional single, Prisoner of My Mind

Posted on 5 October 2022

Lyrically, Juliette Irons reigns supreme over Baby Queen in her latest candour-fuelled alt synth-pop hit, Prisoner of My Mind. The gritty future-pop production plays with tension in the progressions to further amplify the visceral confessional nature of the track which flows through artfully jarring breakbeats and lush synth chords.

The song was inspired by her experience with panic disorder and her determination to help anyone struggling with the same conditions. As someone on a similar anxious wavelength, I can safely say that the badass icon that Juliette Irons has already become has left me inspired about what people can achieve – even when they are struggling with the exhausting shackles of mental illness.

The Canadian-born, LA-based singer-songwriter and choreographer is becoming renowned for her cinematic music videos and flawlessly raw expositions of heartbreak and the other darkest facets of the human psyche. It’s going to be amazing watching her ascend the pop charts.

Prisoner of My Mind was officially released on September 30th. Watch the official music video on YouTube, or add the track to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Krautrock goes pop in RV Escape’s sophomore single, View-Master

Posted on 30 September 2022

With a similar tonal gravitas to Editors’ earlier records, RV Escape is here with their chillingly morose sophomore single, View-Master, taken from their forthcoming LP, Songs for Failure & Decay. Based on that title, the debut album is set to be the timeliest one of this era of dystopia.

The ethereally atmospheric synths, delay-distorted guitars, ragged basslines and harmonically drawling vocals envelop you in the hazy nostalgia of Krautrock that is cut with poppier inclinations to ensure View-Master is a release that you feel endlessly compelled to return to.

For any disillusioned existentialists looking for the ultimate escapism music that vindicates ennui while absolving the omnipresent bitterness, this artfully murky cry into the void hits the spot with beguiling precision.

View-Master will officially release on September 30th. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Relays sentimentally stargaze in their synthy alt-indie debut LP, Under Different Stars

Posted on 29 September 2022

After recording their debut album and mislaying the only copy for ten years, The Relays are finally here with their arrestive synth-driven LP, Under Different Stars.

With their previous releases, the Wigan, UK-hailing 4-piece have featured on BBC and Radio X, along with being lauded by Steve Lamacq and Huw Stevens. The title single from their debut album is a spacey testament to their swoonsome radio readiness.

While Under Different Stars lyrically latches onto a sense of sentimentalism that pulls you into the interstellar centre of affectionate gravity, somewhere along the way, the shimmering synth chords become entwined with your rhythmic pulses as you follow the melodic progressions through their absorbingly artful distinction. There’s no understating the evocative power of Under Different Stars, which effortlessly reaches above the standard for up and coming artists. It’s an achingly sweet release that will undoubtedly see the luminaries go far in their candour-heady career. Forget Editors’ new album, delve into this.

The debut album launched on September 29th; check it out on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Elias Kopp tames the black dog in his melodic pop mental health advocation, Low

Posted on 26 August 2022

Many things in the UK feel absurd right now; you can add Elias Kopp’s underground status to the list of nonsensically baffling things. His latest single, Low, is the epitome of a melancholic melodic masterpiece.

The moody synths and the sweetly lamenting vocal harmonies pull together to make all the mornings you have woken up with the metaphorical black dog beside you fleetingly worth it. As the lyrics yearn for serotonin, Low ironically delivers.

The Brighton, UK-based artist remains committed to proving to people struggling with mental health that they’re not in the minority and that it is possible to come out the other side stronger. From an artist with a fraction less finesse in their sound, that may come across as a little cliché, but Kopp’s sound is always soaked in sincerity. With an album in the pipeline, there has never been a better time to save space on your radar.

Low is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lucy Chan is soulfully cinematic in her latest single, Love Motion Picture

Posted on 22 August 2022

Lucy Chan shared a college fever dream in her latest soulfully cinematic pop track, Love Motion Picture, which runs with escapist references to 90s rom coms, hints of 80s synth pop and a modernist twist to the romanticism.

The 19-year-old singer-songwriter has been a hit with teen pop fans ever since her 2021 single, I Wonder, and her acclaim grows with every subsequent release. Taylor Swift would want to eat her heart out to the dreamy innocent melodicism of Love Motion Picture, We can’t wait to hear what the Australian artist resolvingly releases next.

Love Motion Picture is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Feel the heat of Keelan X’s latest synth-pop anthem, Fever

Posted on 19 August 2022

Like many artists, Ireland’s prodigal son of pop, Keelan Cunningham, turned to creative solitude during the pandemic, which saw him taking his strides as a solo artist after the dissolution of his band, The Marigolds. His third single, Fever, affirms that even as a one-man entity, he’s a powerhouse.

Armed with his Telecaster and Roland keyboard, he built a robust anthem out of Fever, which allows the strident vocal dynamism to match the mesmerizing energy of the heavy production, which will be an instant hit with The War on Drugs, The Weeknd, and The Midnight fans. To borrow a line from Labrinth, this one is feeling like a straight ten on the Richter scale. Fever is one of those rare hits that would work just as well filling a dance floor as it would on the radio. He became one to watch with his debut. Get him on your radar.

Fever is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Arlo Boe – Eclipsed: One small step for pop, one giant leap for the airwaves.

Posted on 19 August 2022

The Australian up-and-coming pop sensation, Arlo Boe didn’t just go lyrically interstellar with her latest single, Eclipsed. The stratospheric energy resounds just as much through the catchy, spacey 80s synth pop textures, modernised by Boe’s unique futuristic pop vision.

Beyond the spacey intonations, Eclipsed is dedicated to the people who don’t fall into the category of marriage material but are dynamite between the sheets. A bold concept, but with Arlo Boe’s signature cinematic yet casually cool style, it is impossible not to get hooked on the synthy grooves and her vocal dynamism, which asserts her authenticity on the airwaves.

Eclipsed will officially release on August 12th; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Anna Wells became the UK’s brightest pop luminary with her self-actualized single, No More

Posted on 18 August 2022

Starting with the syncopated bluesy piano, Anna Wells’ latest progressive synth-pop single, No More, due for release on August 18th, 2022, instantly draws you in through the quirkiness that assures you that the Essex, UK-residing artist is autonomously electric enough to deserve your undivided attention.

The dance-worthy, marginally Avant-Garde beats and sporadically theatric vocals could sell the record alone; the empowered and self-actualized lyrics heighten the listening experience to the nth degree.

“I don’t need that kind of man in my life no more because I’m not so insecure anymore”, may just be the lyric of the year – if prizes go for those. It perfectly encapsulates theh human proclivity to martyr ourselves to misery through the subconscious belief we don’t deserve more. I officially love her.

Check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Leeza traverses affectionate fear in her stormy synth pop serenade, Stars

Posted on 10 August 2022

Like swathes of pop fans, we have been caught up in the hype amassing around LA-based singer-songwriter Leeza’s latest single, Stars. A month on from the July release, the smoothly interstellar single has racked up almost 45k streams on Spotify alone.

With the honesty in the lyricism acting as the centre of gravity in this future-pop-meets-old-school-pop-serenade, it’s impossible not to succumb to the romanticism as the track explores our tendency to long for comfort after someone has knocked our emotions out of orbit.

Her commanding vocals over the seductively moody synth lines proved to be a stylish recipe for pop magnetism. It is far from just titularly beyond earth’s atmosphere. Leeza is a conduit of connection who deserves to be lauded for her ability to translate our deepest fears and desires into melodic bliss.

In her own words, here is what Leeza had to say about her latest single

“Stars is a song about finding new love, and all the scary things that come with it that make you want to distance yourself from the person. Regardless of those fears, you realise that you are already in too deep anyway, and just need to give in, fall and see where it takes you, hopefully to the stars!”

With her debut EP, which will also be produced by fellow Berklee alumni, Jordan Sweet, due for release this October, she is more than worth a spot on your radar.

Listen to Stars on Spotify & follow Leeza on Instagram and TikTok.

Review by Amelia Vandergast