Light Asylum
Following the success of their 2011 EP Tension, Brooklyn’s finest electro duo Light Asylum have finally treated us to what we’ve wanted for so long: their debut album.
Released on independent label Mexican Summer, the combination of looming synth and rapid-fire keyboard on the eponymous release by Shannon Funchess and Bruno Coviello makes it sound like it has come straight out of a Depeche Mode track, and it’s an absolute must buy if you’re into your 80s electro.
On top of this 80s England synth-pop however, are vocals which would be more accustomed to the Sex Pistols. Funchess’s voice is never still. One moment she’s screeching down the microphone like John Lydon and then the next she’s singing in a manner that wouldn’t sound out of place on a PJ Harvey record – and it is amazing.
The punk-esque vocals are a wonderful change to the dull, monotonous harmonies usually placed with anything remotely electro, and the content of them is also refreshing, with anti-establishment vibes running through the entire album, flaring up most obviously, of course, on tracks such as Pope Will Roll.
If you’re into your new-wave synth-pop and electro you’ll absolutely love this, and even if you’re not it’s well worth a listen because you might just become a convert.
Long live Light Asylum!
7/10