Glass Apple Bonzai – In The Dark (CD Album – Artoffact Records)
Genre/Influences: Synth-pop, wave-pop.
Background/Info: Glass Apple Bonzai is a Canadian synth-pop project set up and driven by Daniel X. Belasco. I had the opportunity to discover the second full length (cf. “Night Maze”) released on Razgrom Music in 2015 and clearly inspired and devoted to good-old synth-pop music from the 80s. Belasco now joined hands with Artoffact Records for the third album of his band. This album is available in CD- and vinyl format.
Content: I have to say I wasn’t that impressed by the previous album so I wasn’t exactly looking forward to discover this new work. “In The Dark” however reveals an improvement in the global songwriting and production. The songs are still inspired by vintage electro-pop music. It sounds a bit space-like, but the numerous analogue sweeps, refined bleeping sequences and retro-kicks will quickly awake some good-old memories.
The pop style of Glass Apple Bonzai will make you feel happy and get you on the dancefloor. It’s an ode to the 80s and one of the bands that come regularly to mind is Duran Duran.
+ + + : The songwriting was seriously improved accentuating the magic of analogue synthesizer music. This rather ‘new’ project is an exciting emulation of the 80s. You directly can feel the real spirit of vintage electronics while there are a few brilliant songs featured on this album.
– – – : Glass Apple Bonzai remains one of the weirdest band names I’ve heard in quite a long time. It doesn’t sound really serious and I can’t get away from the fact that the music was composed just for fun. It sometimes becomes a bit too cliché-like.
Conclusion: If you’re fond of 80s synth-pop music with a feel-good sound, you definitely have to taste the sweetness of the Glass apple Bonzai! This is music to eliminate your daily stress and simply have fun!
Best songs: “Suicide, You And I”, “A New Day Begins”, “In The Dark”, “Light In The Darkness (Overture)”.
Rate: (7½).
Band: https://gabonzai.com / www.facebook.com/glassapplebonzai
Label: www.artoffact.com / www.facebook.com/artoffact
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