While I’m still curating a score/soundtrack version of The List, I decided to go ahead and share an edition with artists I’ve never covered before. It can get synthy and a bit post-punk, and even tread into territory I don’t normally cover. Enjoy.
French Inhaler — “TV LOVE”
This song caught my attention for a few reasons. Notably the Chicago-based band sounds like New Order, but in a way that isn’t all pastiche or cliché. Drummer Zane Chao in particular has the kinetic abilities of Stephen Morris. But don’t discount Adam O’Leary’s driving, sinewy bass and singer-synthesist Ashvin Prakash’s deftness at tapping into the beauty of relatively minimalistic synths for full emotional impact. (Also, Prakash’s vocals have a captivating character to them that echoes judiciously over the instrumentation.) The arrangement has the barely-held-together quality of early New Order, providing a sense of suspense to underscore the sweetness and memorable hooks that carry us through the entire operation. It’s lovely when real humans make real music, isn’t it? The song is out now via Toe Tapper Records. It’s on streamers, but also Bandcamp.
(Side Note: I could see this band opening for Nation of Language. Although both groups have a similar instrument set, their execution is different enough within the same context to make the show worthwhile.)
Cosmic Darlings — “Only You”
Cosmic Darlings is a project from Netherlands-based producer Rob de Waard and Italo Disco aficionado Eddy Orlando, and this recent single has a beautifully dreamy and colorfully earnest synth-pop dynamic reminiscent of some of the early 2010s output of Futurecop, paired with the minimalist, galloping rhythm section of the likes of Italo stars such as Gazebo or Ryan Paris. It’s a tender and catchy affair that won’t leave your head easily. Out now on streamers via Edo Records.
A Days Wait — “First Time”
“First Time” is the latest single from Canada-based A Days Wait. It’s a dreamy indie-pop number with M83 grandiosity and smooth vocals with a timbre that flows like a blend of Brothertiger’s John Jagos and Blink182’s Mark Hoppus. Along those lines, there are elements of 2010’s mp3blog music and late 1990s emo that intersect to cultivate an intriguing harmony of wistfulness and contemplation. It is, apparently, going to be on a forthcoming album. In the meantime, you can find it on streamers. (A Days Wait has collaborated with Color Theory in the past, if you’re interested.)
NOREA — “Won’t You Come Around”
The next synth-laden number is from Sweden’s NOREA. “Won’t You Come Around,” which released last month, features deep, gothic female vocals that flow like molasses over a Carpenteresque array of dark synths and a slowly echoed snare — before everything gets larger and even a bit hopeful. It’s a fuller, more engaging arrangement than one would expect from the artist who styles herself a bedroom producer. (Yet, it still retains the intimate quality of songs made in home studios.) Available now on streamers.
Mo Troper — “Let’s Get Back To The Music”
This is one of those songs that doesn’t really fit the Vehlinggo mold (at least outside of scores and soundtracks), but it nevertheless does align with some of the music to which I listen regularly: namely, artists like Brian Wilson, Superdrag, and Big Star. And the fact that it’s a damn good song helps, too. “Let’s” is a sunny and modern baroque-pop number that comes off a bit like a Wilson-penned song performed by the Doobie Brothers with Alex Chilton on vocals. The vocal lead and harmonies are bright and energetic, the guitars and synths emphatic, and the rhythm buoyant. There is even a touching breakdown straight out of Wilson’s later career gems. You could pop this song on the soundtrack to Jake Kasdan’s 2002 film Orange County and it would fit right in. (The somewhat sardonic lyrics make it even more of a match.)
If you can, put on this Mo Troper number and let the musician’s lovely ditty add color to your drive along the PCH, the 101, or whatever beautiful drive awaits you this summer. Available now on streamers and Bandcamp. The album it’s from, Today I Played My Guitar And Sang, releases on July 10.
A BONUS FOR YOU:
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