New Wave Gold
No Coast, 2020
9/10
The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Shawn Foree, for nearly two decades the artist has meshed New Wave, synth-punk, pop and psychedelia in very impressive ways across a massive catalog of music as Digital Leather. This installment comes from his Nebraska apartment, where Foree took two years to birth an aptly titled masterpiece of sonic acrobatics.
“Dark Ages” starts the listen unexpectedly with a bit of Americana lingering in the post-punk fueled electronic flavored rock, and “Born To Win” follows firmly indebted into the ‘80s with its playful synth amid darker tones and deep vocals.
With 18 tracks included, there’s much to enjoy here, and it’s quite varied, including the club friendly “Sad Sap And The Infinite Ego”, as well as the ambient, nearly prog-like “When I Blink”, which benefits much from minimalism. “Power Quest”, an album highlight, then bursts with a lively buzzing and nearly industrial approach that would pair well with a Ministry record.
Closer to the end, “Iconography” brings electro-pop ideas with plenty of grit, while “V” is a haunting and mysterious leap into seedy melodies and an almost dreamlike display. “Sinking Ship” then exits the listen with no shortage of shimmering synth and dark wave nods.
Certainly artistic, heavily dissonant and sometime abrasive but not without ominous melody, Digital Leather can easily soundtrack a dance club as they could a mosh pit. If you’re unfamiliar, this would be a great place to start, and if you’ve been following along, you’ll be plenty impressed.
Travels well with: The Faint- Capsule 1999-2016; Ritual Howls- Their Body