Synth Pop
News: Tove Lo Announces Headline Australian Shows And New Album
Tove Lo announces headline tour of Australia and NZ and upcoming new album.
Premiere: Berlin-based new wave synth queen Novaa releases the breezy alt pop of ‘School Friends’.
We are very pleased to premiere the new track ‘School Friends’ from Berlin based alt pop chanteuse Novaa. ‘School Friends’ has a sparse melodic beat with wry observational lyrics that are louche and laid back, capturing the social anxieties of interaction with peers. Novaa has captured a sense of vulnerability in her expression, wrapped up …
PREMIERE: Vancouver’s Gold & Youth get existential on ‘Blush’; long-awaited second album out tomorrow
In 2013, Canadian quartet Gold & Youth released their very good debut album Beyond Wilderness; then they, er, went into the wilderness. For eight years. We genuinely thought they had broken up – this is, thankfully, not the case. Not only are they still a band, but they’ve also got an imminent new record. Trailed …
Track: The dreamy and ethereal Barrie returns with more sublime synth pop in track ‘Frankie’ and announces US and European tour
I really shouldn’t dwell on the past so much but Barrie‘s single ‘Tal Uno’, reviewed by me here back in 2018 remains one of the most outstanding and perfect slices of pure pop heaven I’ve heard over my years of writing for Backseat Mafia. Subsequent releases displayed the same acute ear for melody, laden with …
EP: Bangalore’s dream pop exponents Us and I release their shimmering debut EP ‘Loveless’
Having enticed us with the single ‘Fragile’ last month, Bangalore dream pop duo Us and I have just dropped their debut EP ‘Loveless’, four dollops of exquisite dream pop delights. The band beautifully express their inspirations: In a world doused with melancholia, there is no dearth of inspiration. A lot of ideas were being developed …
Track: CHVRCHES share ‘How Not To Drown’ (feat Robert Smith) with new album ‘Screen Violence’ coming out 27 August
Glasgow synth-pop greats CHVRCHES have shared a special remix of their latest single How Not To Drown featuring one of the band’s musical heroes, The Cure frontman Robert Smith. With CHVRCHES’ Martin Doherty proclaiming publicly that the track marked “the proudest moment of my life in music”, the darkly atmospheric pairing of The Cure’s hallmark …
Track: Geoffrey O’Connor reveals the synth pop joy of ‘For As Long As I Can Remember (feat. Jonnine)’
Flutes never sounded so good as the arpeggiated riff that sinuously winds its way through ‘For As Long As I Remember’, the reflective and delicate track from singer/songwriter/producer Geoffrey O’Connor. Featuring the dulcet vocals of Jonnine from the band HTRK as a duet, this is an atmospheric and catchy synth pop tune that exudes an …
Track: The Ghost of Helags release dreamy, nostalgic synth pop track ‘Mary’ and announce debut album
Over the past year The Ghost of Helags have released a batch of gorgeous singles displaying an immaculate craft in melodic electronic pop infused with melancholia and elegant poise. They even took part in an exclusive Live in Session with Backseat Mafia (if you haven’t already – go and subscribe). It is excellent news then that their debut …
EP Review: Kitten Heel – I Love You Too, Man
‘I Love You Too, Man’, the new EP from Wollongong band Kitten Heel is sublime. Sweeping waves of synth and driving rhythms underpin cool and studied vocals resulting in a celestial pop release with an edge. I can detect a number of mostly eighties influences ranging from Cabaret Voltaire and Kraftwerk to more commercial tracks …
Track: The Ghost of Helags – Night Summer Waiting
Berlin-based duo The Ghost of Helags are accruing a very fine catalogue of delectable indie pop tunes that marry a dream pop fugue over a melancholy melodic delivery. The new single, ‘Night Summer Waiting’ further enhances their reputation. Singer Teresa Woischiski says of the song: The song was written in the heat of this small …