Atelier Elektro, by Ametrom

Thoughtful and melodic synthwave from Canadian producer Ametrom, Atelier Electro is an enjoyable electro-disco record overflowing with riffs and lush synth arps! The 10-tracks are peppered with just the right amount of vocals – leaving plenty of room for the instrumentals to breathe, while also giving the album some additional weight and emotion.

On the whole, it’s a very positive record – melodies tend to be uplifting in a cute and nostalgic way, with steady tempo beats driving the tracks forward. There are some retro vibes, especially with certain riffs and passages, Ametrom utilizes some interesting instruments and sounds throughout. You might hear a sudden groove with organs blasting, guitars plucking and beautiful vocals – you begin to feel like you’re listening to something straight out of the 60’s.

I was very impressed with the sounds on this one. Ametrom clearly has a firm grasp on his tools and knows how to craft an experience. If you’re a fan of cinematic sounds, synthwave or cyberpunk style, you should really enjoy this one. The songwriting is tight and the execution is satisfying.

Played, by Palavas

Beautiful and mellow sounds pour from this one, Played by french Novelist and Musician Palavas, presented to us by Wormhole World. Lush and expansive while remaining intimate, Played is quite the unique journey. With structure being cast aside and a big focus on mood, it’s all propelled forward by Palavas‘ vocals – which he uses quite creatively and beautifully – often behaving more like an instrument itself than words being sung, and I adore it. I actually found it to be a more blissful and ambient C. Duncan, a favorite artist of mine from the past few years, it was a pleasant surprise!!

The album deals with themes of hope and healing, the melancholy of existence – Palavas seems to effortlessly convey the complex emotions of helplessness and solitude. The generous use of strings really helps solidify the intention, with a beautiful acoustic palette being utilized, you can easily imagine floating through the sky enjoying a small cup of coffee on the edge of a cloud, watching the world pass below…

The album is available digitally as well as a nice looking Compact Disc – both at an incredibly reasonable price considering the content – Played being 14 tracks of thoughtfully crafted songs, if you’re looking for a great soundtrack for your summer porch chilling, look no further!

Gastr, by Lately Kind of Yeah

Some fantastic dirty and poppy experiments from Lately Kind of Yeah