Ulver "Locusts" (2024)

 

With a strident return to form, Ulver delivers again on his intelligent renditions of matured Synthpop. After a couple of shaky releases, Locusts rediscovers balance. Steeped in dusky atmospheres, classy compositions layer up dreamy instrumentation for his voice to shine like a light guiding the way forward. Steady baselines peruse and pristine keyboard tones shimmer in a dense dance, lush and brim. Melodies play fractured, subdued, diverse, allowing emotion to amass from its parts, without steeling focus from our front man who steps into the stage light, suited up and proper.

Its a smart, intelligent set of songs with a soft city nightlife vibe reminiscent of an older generation. Accents of New Wave, Art Pop and Dance music show distinctive influences, perfectly reworked to suit this breezy pace. The record stars slow and withheld, a minimal take on the formulae to come. The opening title track lunges into its big synth kicks towards its conclusion but the proceeding Nocturne #2 reminded me of Peter Gabriel, a Worldbeat influenced tangent slow and meandering. Its a great conjuring of softly esoteric mood yet halts the show from starting somewhat.

The other installment of Nocturne interjects between these snugly paired songs with a broody rendition of droning synths. Powerful, dark and dreary yet adrift from the records overall tone. The rest of its songs play an effortless pleasure, dazzling and soulful in their own way. Very enjoyable yet feels a little light in variety. What detours it does offer drift from its solid foundations. Curation is possibly its culprit.

Rating: 6/10

Janelle Monáe "Metropolis: The Chase Suite" (2008)

 

Prelude to The Archandroid and first installment of a conceptual series of records, Metropolis is a fair introduction to Janelle's quirks as an artist. For this listener, the spoils of what follows overshadows its charms. Metropolis plays as another union of instrumentals reaching into a diverse past for inspiration, paired with sharp, groove inducing percussion, its a fantastic reinvention of timeless musical expressions.

With March Of The Wolfmasters, the thematic premise is laid bare, somewhat spelt out. Outlawed robotic romantics, a vision of science fiction imagined future, plucked from the 20th centuries early decades and intermingled with a very human narrative. So to does the music plunder gloriously with trumpeted Swing band elements, theatrical string sections and stabbing horror organ melodies spun to a jovial rhythm.

Although a brief EP, its focus slips at the end with Mr. President. Pivoting to a plea on current social woes, the shift in tone is jarring. Then proceeded by a cover of Smile her incredible voice sadly doesn't quite suite. It was however an excuse to learn about a song covered many times, going far back to Charlie Chaplin. On Metropolis, Its clear the groundwork was laid for great things to follow, however the core three songs that merited this thematic inspiration was ready for more at this point in time.

Rating: 5/10

Pale Waves "My Mind Makes Noises" (2018)

My Mind Makes Noises is a frankly disappointing debut record from this youthful eighties revival band. Its a rather different experience from their promising four track, All The Things I Never Said. The excitement of a young new act and nostalgic vibes stirred quite hype but its weak points, mainly lyrics, never stood out as much as it does on the fifty minutes one has to endure here. Singer Baron-Gracie has the clean cut voice perfect for simple pop songs but the lyrical simplicity is almost painful. Her use of plain observational language, a lack of creative lyricism and heavy repetition cycles through the same bleak teenage relationship topics over and over again. Insecurities, envy, jealous, infatuation and raging youthful emotion froth to the boil on every song. Its just not my cup of tea unfortunately.

Behind her words glossy, squeaky clean instrumentals pump out eighties melodies in dead simple song structures for fourteen songs with little in the way of variety. Its a tolerable experience with gleaming melodies glistening over steady beats and sturdy foundational baselines. They come repackaged again and again with varying degrees of tone but ultimately the same formula. Its little distraction from the self indulgent, aggrandizing lyrics that elevate surface emotions over self reflection or introspection.

Its quite frankly immature and that is fine, Its clearly for a younger audience and I could totally see a young me digging it. The music is tolerable but the lyrics were like an ear worm. I don't think the EP's words were less formed in this direction and thus got away with one but at this point I am not terribly excited about where they go from here. I will probably pick up the next album if its singles show signs of development. Seems unlikely but would be nice to hear this sound go to new places.

Rating: 2/10

Pale Waves "All The Things I Never Said" (2018)

This young band have emerged with much attention for their distinct revival of 80s New Wave, Synthpop and Goth Pop sounds. Echoes of The Cure, Tears For Fears and Dream Pop unite with no particular distinction of something original beyond modern and glossy production. Singer Heather Baron-Gracie has strong, warm singing voice with an approachable range. Her lyrics are some what vanilla with direct language to convey her thoughts and feelings. The simplicity lacks a spark but within the squeaky clean and polished sound it suffices over the dreamy instrumentals.

Big cruising bass lines lay down warm, bold foundations for simple drum patterns to craft snappy grooves behind the attention grabbing glossy guitars and reverb soaked synths that churn out nostalgic melodies. Its held together in a sweetly warm balance of fun and youthful innocence with tinge of sadness and sorrow lurking that never surpasses the bright, uplifting gleam of glossy sounds channeled over engulfing airy synths that fill the spaces between its popping, chirpy melodies.

The records four cuts circle the same waters, making an appetizing listen if you enjoy the first track. Its accolades are to be found in reviving the spirit of and old sound and giving it a modern touch but beyond that their is little remarkable. They execute a musical concept that still works with a bit of love and care. It will be interesting to see where they go from here as this EP is a solid introduction and hopefully a foundation to grow as a band and take this sublime sound to new places!

Rating: 5/10

Killing Joke "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns" (1986)

Ive been chipping away at the Killing Joke discography for some time, their first two records "Killing Joke" and "Whats THIS for...!" were really something but the rest of what Ive heard hasn't been quite as unique or interesting. I last listened to "Outside The Gate", their most poorly received record but one I thought wasn't all to terrible, it had a couple of memorable, catchy songs on it. I actually skipped a beat there, missing this record which ironically feels more like a solo effort from front man Jaz Coleman who's face dominates the albums cover. The negativity surrounding the band at the time seems to revolve around the shifts in style but listening thirty years later its seemingly irrelevant.

Guitar distortions and aggression are almost non existent, the guitars, mostly overdriven, are jamming away in the distance, drifting through melancholy riffs in a wash of hazy reverb that vibes with the synths. Jaz's electronics are eerie keys with an astral quality about them, they take much of the melodic lead and usually the guitars are following them, adding texture and density to the simple synth lines. The drums are rather punchy and active with solid tones however in the mix the are rightly quiet and keep pace rather than make a big impact on the songs. The bass lines are a key component of groove, big and bold the rest in the forefront jamming to their own tune that ties the drums to the guitars and keys. Rising above it all is Jaz's voice who flexes the soft yet powerful side of his range. The instrumental sets the tone, building the atmosphere for Jaz to take the stage. With some soft reverb he shows his talent however as always the lyrics generally pass me by. Its an agreeable chemistry but as it stretches on through its hour run time a limitation arises without a flexibility to his approach on each song. The songs two are rather simple and their is no grandiose ideas at work, just variations on the same aesthetic.

Its still got that distinct Killing Joke vibe, but far more New Wave, and with a tinge of Gothic residing in its moody, slightly gloomy exterior. Two tracks in the middle stick out, breaking the established formula and stripping back the guitars for the synths to take lead. "A Southern Sky" has a memorable hook "Death on the hills, into the forest" and "Victory" has a much perkier, upbeat feel with a jovial base making itself known. They feel different and slightly more pop than the rest of the record, at one hour it probably could of dropped these songs off but that's just my opinion since they feel so out of place to me. Overall its a reasonable record, enjoyable in its moment but not much sticks in the mind about it. Its something for a particular mood, just a mood I'm rarely in.

Rating: 5/10

Killing Joke "Outside The Gate" (1988)

Continuing our journey through the fifteen full length Killing Joke albums we arrive at their seventh and undoubtedly their worst received record by both critics and their fan base. The group made a stylistic shift towards the once trending Synthpop sound without any form of subtlety. Having wrapped my head around it I see the negativity as a reaction to what was probably perceived as trend hoping, however being from the distant and mysterious future there is little offense I can take as its no longer relevant. That doesn't let it off the hook though, their are some jarring, rigid and unfortunate moments where it doesn't work, equally some great moments too. The opening track "America" is a fantastic example of good pop song writing, with a hook and catchy chorus. Its cynical lyrics and unsettling, gleaming synths reinforcing underlining the dark, observational message.

The rhythmic identity and tonal guitars are all but absent on this record and its a key part of what defines them, or once did. Equally singer Jaz Coleman steps further outside his normality and flexes his vocals, showing his ability, range and the charm his softer side has, similar to on "Love Like Blood". It sound stunning on the second track when accompanied by lush chorus pedal guitar strumming and can sound equally fluky on "Stay One Jump Ahead" where they play out Synthpop cliches. The records problem is in the rigidity between their natural instincts and the Synthpop characteristics they emulate. There is a couple moments where its awful, mostly mediocre but between them they always drift towards the moody, brooding atmospheres which having a rich set of synths and decent production value sound glorious in their moments, however theirs only a few tracks that hit that mark.

For me that's the record in a nutshell. Its best moments come from the bands leanings to their unique sound and the worst from pop cliches and "moments" in songs you've heard other bands do. It does however not deserve the flack it received in my opinion, the chirpier synth added a welcome dimension when executed with inspiration and it yielded a couple of fantastic songs. Whats interesting is this shift came years after the scenes apparent decline. I'm doubtful the motivation was to scene hop, maybe just to explore an interest in a sound than played out alongside their best years.

Favorite Songs: America, My Love Of This Land, Unto The Ends Of The Earth

Rating: 5/10

Arcadia "So Red The Rose" (1985)

"So Red The Rose" is a one off 80s Synthpop record, an off shoot of Duran Duran. With the band on a short hiatus the group split in two to focus on other projects and three of the five, including singer Simon LeBon, put together this record together which could arguably be my first Duran Duran record as I am quite unfamiliar with their music, however very aware of their success and acclaim. Synthpop itself isn't a genre I'm particularly fond of however Depeche Mode's "Black Celebration" really won me over. It has an appealing framework but often the direction isn't my forte.

With Arcadia the opposite might just be so. I found myself in tune with the spirit of the record and its direction however the arrangements of bright, crisp and upfront instruments tend to get on the excessive side at times. It is apparent now that the "space", between instruments, in the music is probably due to being so fond of Metal and a constant onslaught of sound that the burst and chop nature of the instruments becomes a delicate balance. Simple drum beats, mild temperate baselines, soft backdrop synth lines and LeBon's romanticized vocals are the consistent element. Around them dance jovial synth stabs, momentary flange guitars chords and various layers of mildly percussive sounds as well as swarms of noisy synth effects that burst out and frazzle quickly. These arrangements revolve around straight forward time signatures with a decent sense of groove but its a few instrumental choices that don't line up for me. Vivacious and bold, these instruments have to much oomph for what should be a calmer spirit in comparison to LeBon's voice. Especially the stabs, they border what might be described as "cheesy". Although a little wild and over enthusiastic the songs have spirit, inspiration and a great sense of melody within a shorter, catchy context.

At this point the record is doing just enough but after a couple of interludes the final three tracks really pick up with the aforementioned niggles removed entirely. They follow the tone of LeBon and build slower atmospheres around him with no dramatic synth noises or abrasive stabs, Its the part I'm most fond of. It wasn't something I noticed, but the record also features David Gilmore of Pink Floyd, Sting & Herbie Hancock on various tracks. I really enjoyed this record for a while but it has tired a little. Ive seen Synthpop as a hit or miss for me but here we find something hung in the balance, that definitely leans into the light.

Favorite Songs: The Promise, El Diablo, Lady Ice

Rating: 6/10

Berlin "Pleasure Victim" (1982)

Searching for something a little out of my comfort zone I stumbled across "Berlin", an 80s Synthpop group who despite their name are from America, not Germany. Checking out this band in brief was a bit of a trip, a throwback to a scene barely recognizable in modern culture, but only in terms of looks and fashion. Synthpop left a resounding influence in pop and electronic music that can still be felt today, and despite a limited knowledge of the genre, this sounded like a prime example of the sound in its retroactive peak. This was when pop music exploded with rich keyboard synthesizer leads and catchy melodies, an emergence that leads us back to Krafwerk. "Pleasure Victim" went platinum in the states, it took ten years to do so, but now its success seems like something washed away in a ever evolving musical landscape.

Opening with a rigid and plastic electro bass lead, it doesn't take long for the retro sound to kick in as a hyped, glistening synth lead bursts into the fold with an almost cliche melodic lead. Rich synth strings fill the space behind as laser zaps and explosion sounds play away in the background alongside a condensed drum kit that sounds narrow and contained, but of course fitting of this style. Terri Nunn's vocals were initially a turn off, theres a raw authenticity to her voice that felt slightly contrasting to the music, there is a distance created between her traditional singing style and the glistening synths, which as time went on I found to be one of the more enjoyable chemistries on the record. Occasional guitar leads and overdriven chords bring some rock to what is fairly unadventurous record which exemplifies the Synthpop sound.

The record is short and sweet, across the 29 minutes 7 numbers play out with catchy infectious melodies that border cheesy, depending on your taste. The song "Sex (I'm A...)" grows into a cringe fest as moans and groans infest the track as it progresses. Its a thick slice of cheese between two enjoyable sides of a sandwich, which was easy to digest. After repeated listens I felt there was a lack of depth, light and cheerful on the surface the songs were simple pleasures of glittery sound of hooky melodies, but only a couple of songs had the character to stick in the mind. A worthwhile listen, but nothing especially great unless your really keen on Synthpop.

Favorite Songs: The Metro, World Of Smiles

Rating: 5/10