Dublin-based artist Robert O’Connor struts an infectious, vibe-y pop enchantment with ’80s sophistication all through his new album, Swimming Towards The Tide. Alongside long-time producer Gareth Shortland, O’Connor exhibits a sound that spans from the disco-pop bounce of opener “Head Turner” to the lounge-friendly bass/synth intertwining inside “Trick Of The Evening,” which is fondly paying homage to Roxy Music.
O’Connor’s personal function as a music fan impressed the vary of sounds all through, as he dabbled throughout numerous genres as a listener all through the recording course of. “Final summer time, I listened to solely sophisti-pop from the mid-to-late ‘80s – from Merely Crimson to Roxy Music – after which I might pivot and change into enamoured with digital acts like Röyksopp,” he says. “This influenced the alternatives we made when producing the file, and it felt like I used to be revisiting chapters of my life musically.”
A mess of highlights are abound inside. “Summer season Is Ready” proves uplifting from its “feeling down,” preliminary moroseness into the “summer time is ready,” blast of warmness. Doses of woodwinds mix with trendy synths for an enveloping sounds, with shades of The Type Council. Elsewhere, “Laborious Rain” invokes a glistening synth-pop radiance in its numerous vocal layers and hooky vigor — recalling the likes of Pet Store Boys and Erasure. “What A Time To Be Alive” exhibits a equally craving — “wanna join with you,” — amidst a peppy synth-pop allure, closing this stellar album in high quality type. From debonair intrigue to shimmering pop hooks, the manufacturing excels.
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“Head Turner” and different tracks featured this month could be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Rising Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We found this launch through MusoSoup, as a part of the artist’s promotional marketing campaign.