Luke Underhill - Saturday's Masquerade
Pop, Electronic
Illinois, U.S.
Overall Impression: In an age where nostalgia collides with innovation, "Saturday's Masquerade" emerges as a radiant beacon of the modern synth-wave/synth-pop movement. This carefully crafted track by Luke Underhill's "Playing With Fireworks" effortlessly transports us back to the neon-saturated, retro-futuristic landscapes of the 1980s while injecting a refreshing vitality of its own, one of inspired indie/alternative stylings. With pulsating synths, anthemic vocals, and a compelling narrative woven into its electrifying electronic tapestry, "Saturday's Masquerade" invites listeners on a vivid auditory journey that is both enthralling and exciting.
Strongest Point(s): "Saturday's Masquerade" boasts a distinctive, pulsating heartbeat that drives the entire composition. The rhythmic synths and infectious drum patterns serve as the backbone, ensuring the listener is inexorably drawn into the pulsating groove. This heartbeat symbolizes the song's unwavering sense of purpose and energy. A particular triumph of this track is the elegance with which it melds melody and rhythm. Melodic synths, complemented by texture-rich pads, blissfully combine with the free-flowing nature of the vocals and their powerful yet graceful demeanor. These melodies are both nostalgic and forward-looking as if they're the echoes of a bygone era filtered through a modern lens. The vocals in "Saturday's Masquerade" contribute a vital emotional layer to the song. The singer's voice is both delicate and powerful and they convey the lyrics with a level of conviction that goes a long way in helping elevate their already memorable and anthemic nature to even greater heights. The arrangement, both continuously riveting and extremely well crafted, offers listeners plenty in the way of melodic, rhythmic, and textural variation, and thanks to the sterling production and perfect choice of instrumentation, listeners are treated to a listening experience that's both richly detailed and creatively inspired.
Target Audience Appeal: Lovers of retro-styled synth pop/synth-wave will surely find "Saturday's Masquerade" to be a thoroughly worthwhile listening experience.
Artist target suggestions: The Midnight, Emarosa, Siamese Youth, PRIZM, Ellie Goulding, Ollie Wride, The Bad Dreamers, Josh Dally, KRISTINE, Jessie Frye, M83, Empire Of The Sun, CHVRCHES
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About the Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session guitarist, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar as well as teaching it, helping students learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and become proficient in home recording.