80’s music has had a significant resurgence over the past decade or so, rolling back in full force over a range of genres. You don’t need to look further than pop heavyweight The Weeknd’s 2020 album After Hours, Lady Gaga’s Chromatica, the success of films like Guardians of the Galaxy and Top Gun II in recent years to hear that influence coming to the forefront and re-integrating themselves into pop culture.
But it’s a fine line to walk. Too much reverb, delay, and soaring synths and you can easily turn the whole experience into a nostalgia-fest vs. a new spin on the art form.
La Bouquet’s 2019 album Sad People Dancing expertly walks that line, offering a fresh perspective on the 80’s infused with post-punk and R&B sensibilities. Halloween may have ended last week but next year I’m planning to have this album on loop outside my house and hand out ear candy to all the neighborhood Trick Or Treaters. The duo of Bryan Sammis and Drew Bruchs have a real knack for finding a simple piece of land where nostalgia, vocal hooks, and glistening instrumentals can all coexist and putting down roots in that space for 45 minutes. There’s an incredible balance of both light and darkness throughout the entire album, but ultimately one that has an underpinning of hope that permeates the whole experience.
A final side note– a few months ago I was spending the day with my one year old son and we were listening to this album. He was getting fussy before a nap and I picked him up as “1990” came on, and when Sammis said “I want to be the one you can count on when nothing else makes sense” my son layed his head on my shoulder in utter peace and I just started crying on the spot. It was a wonderful moment that I’ll never forget.
Standout Songs: “Bad News!”, “Loveless”, “1990”, “Sad People Dancing”
Matthew. 