Sometimes something is so simple that it feels routine. And other times that very routine sound is elevated into something special through a deft understanding of form, technique, and melody. The new one from Brothertiger, Paradise Lost, feels like about a dozen things you've heard before but that's no knock on how easily this one warms the soul. Out on Satanic Panic Recordings, the release is one of this week's most pleasant surprises.
"Found" is pure Eighties synth-pop, lush and accessible, while "Mainsail" and "Livin'" are even better, sleek updatings of O.M.D. and The Dolphin Brothers. Elsewhere, "Cannonball" is more accessible still, catchy even, while "Checking Out" felt to me a tiny bit like moments on the second Blue Nile album. John Jagos, the main person behind Brothertiger, understands how to compose this sort of material and bring it to life. The record is lush, spacious, and mildly poppy, even as it suggests a real mastery of both studio technique and the use of electronic textures. That every song is fairly concise and catchy helps too.
Paradise Lost is out now via Satanic Panic Recordings.
More details on Brothertiger via the official Facebook page.
[Photo: Alec Castillo]