There are so many synthesizers out there these days that it’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, the electronic pop-pioneers from the cheesy eighties rip-offs. The undeniable surface appeal can lead to something more, or can be just surface. A R I Z O N A bring a fuller sound on Asylum.
Yes, Asylum is a synth-pop record, but takes that ball and runs with it. The smooth looking back of “Nostalgic” has more weight, while “Find Someone” brings a great, bright uplift. Not all of the songs are memorable, and the reliance on synthesizers makes them all run together a bit, but there is a there, there.
At this point, the world doesn’t need more electro-pop outfits of sweet guys doing sweet songs. But we do need folks who do it better, like A R I Z O N A.
