Today Only: Coldwave/Synth sale vinyl

Review: The Midnight's latest Heroes is a stark display of the musical evolution of the New York duo. A band that started as a synth heavy proposition, extensive touring across the globe (including a headline at London's Brixton Academy) and the desire not to repeat themselves in creative terms has led to the bigger vision and wider appeal of what their label calls "fully-realised, arena-worthy songs".
Heroes is the final part in a trilogy of albums that started with 2018's Kids, followed in 2020 by Monsters. "For me, Kids is self-knowledge, Monsters is self-love, and then Heroes is empathy," said singer Tyler Lyle. "I got into depth psychology and this idea of aetiology, the way a human forms. The world doesn't get better but we do. We grow into ourselves. We grow into our voice."
Still, Heroes remains definitely more a case of evolution than revolution - there's still more than a hint of the gorgeous synth sounds in evidence, but with a lyrical maturity and smartness that gives even its most pop moments an unexpected twist.

Review: You'd be forgiven for not knowing much about Plugpoint Music's sole album, Last Chance. It was recorded by German artist Reiner Ossmann in his home studio way back in 1987 and was subsequently released via a private press run of just 200 copies. It is, then, a genuinely little-known and overlooked gem that has been rescued from obscurity via the mighty Minimal Wave label. If you enjoy the more stripped-back and eccentric end of the new wave and cold wave spectrum, we'd definitely recommend it. Ossmann's synthesizer and drum machine arrangements are expertly minimalistic and alien-sounding, with gurgling melodies and spaced-out chords mingling with his own heavily accented vocals over the sparsest of beats. An ultra-rare gem that's well worth your time and money.

Review: British label Fire return with more retro antics. Virginias Wings perform a cover version of Suzanne Menzel's lost pop classic "It Starts Again" with Jane Weaver on vocals. Noveller Aka Brooklyn based Sarah Lipstate performs a rendition of John Carpenter's "The Thing" and Malmo based dream pop trio Death and Vanilla re-imagine Bert Janschs "Moonshine" on this first edition of the new Lost Library series: conceived by the label boss James Nicholls and designer Luke Drozd. Featuring new tracks from their acclaimed female fronted roster.