Hesitant Light
Apollon, 2021
8/10
Perhaps best known as the frontman for the Norwegian prog-rock outfit White Willow, Jacob Holm-Lupo is no stranger to experimenting with his craft in quite exciting ways, and here he steers right into synthwave waters as Donner.
“Melancholy City” starts the listen with warm, buzzing synth, as plenty of atmosphere enters the introspective electronica, and “Hesitant Light” follows with a soothing, playful demeanor where agile bass playing and dreamy moments of synth arrive in spades.
In the middle, “ Floating World” takes on an almost sci-fi appeal as strategic flute adds even more mystery to the equation, while “Street Heat” finds plenty of grooves amid the bouncy bass and crisp drumming that complements the adventurous keys. “Escape From Plague City” then takes on a very textured demeanor that’s charmingly cinematic.
“Devil’s Highway”, the album’s best, then leads with a calm haze before turning ominous with meticulous attention to detail, and “Coda: Street Heathaze” exits the listen with swirling guitar work surrounding the spacey synth stabs.
Inspired largely from Berlin School electronica, Holm-Lupo also embraces a John Carpenter like haunting quality, and it makes for another creative chapter in his long list of exceptional bands.
Travels well with: Sordal- Juno & Jupiter; Dang!!!- Sociopathfinder