Lyrical cleverness has always been the element of trio Satellite Young’s music separating them from similarly “retro new-wave” artists. Anyone can pen some overly dramatic lyrics and set it against synthesizer melodies before slapping some Blade Runner imagery over it. But Satellite Young ultimately focus on the now through a throwback lens, or at last think of something more clever than half-baked William Gibson-isms. “Singing Dream’s” main idea is…what if a karaoke machine had heart an autonomy? Boom, ya got my attention. The music, meanwhile, moves in a more shadowy direction than most of the group’s previous works. Compared to the outright bubbly joy of “Modern Romance,” “Singing Dream” uses similar sounds to construct something more cautious, holding a little bit back, especially come the chorus, which avoids full-on release in favor of something a bit more measured. While I’m always going to personally go for the pure pop hooks dotting their debut last year and which is “Modern Romance’s” DNA, this one shows a new side to them, one capable of tension alongside their clever perspective on nostalgia and modern technology. Get it here, or listen above.
