Glass Apple Bonzai — In The Dark
Having my musical life shaped by my youth in the 80's, I tread lightly with music that is described as having "80's" elements. I'm very protective of that warm little nugget that helped make me me, and I don't want people that may not feel the same way about it bandying it about willy nilly. Fortunately, though, there are acts that embrace the music and aren't in it for hipster-esque, "ironic" reasons. Glass Apple Bonzai, has built a solid, synthy smile machine in In The Dark. Closer to 80's Italo Disco than 80's New Wave, GAB play a bright, and refreshing brand of synthpop. Bright, fun boppers such as "Light In the Darkness," "Holy War," and "A Wicked Fire" dare the listener to sit still in his/her chair while the subtle synth beat bounces forward and plays springboard to higher, nostalgic synths. It must be noted, too, that the vocals match the music wonderfully, too. Not overreaching, and just amateur enough, Daniel's vocals capture those of a musician wholly involved in his project. Darker numbers like "Suicide, You, and I" and "The Unholy" have more of an early, progressive industrial vibe. Not too far from Twitch era Ministry, these darker tracks hammer home the grim undertone of the album's story. Add to this some familiar film samples, and you're sitting in Classic Industrial 101. Despite the difference in tone and structure of the lighter and darker tracks, they work very well together to complete Glass Apple Bonzai's vision, and In The Dark benefits greatly from GAB's attention to detail.
While most music on this site is grim and gnarly, sometimes a bright little nugget comes to pass. Glass Apple Bonzai's In The Dark shines brightly in all it's synthy splendor. Danceable and catchy, this one will definitely get respun a lot during the summer months. Until then, any fan of Italo Disco would do well by picking this one up.