The new track, “Waiting”, by neon radiation – the project by London based pop songwriter and producer, Gary Blake, is a song that’s difficult to stop listening to. Its melody is catchy and sticks in your head, and it’s just hard to ever get sick of it. This is a much tighter track than anything the project has done before. Blake just killed all the extraneous bits and separated the wheat from the chaff. What’s left is only the good stuff – crunchy, jangly electric guitars and resonating retro synths. The stuff that makes you want to sing along, bang your head with the beat, and jump up and down. There’s really nothing wrong with that. This track definitely sounds bigger and bolder than some of their previous stuff, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a sweet wall of guitar and synth sound. It’s a different style, to be sure, but one that gives new life to the current scene.
For those still not familiar with the neon radiation modus operandi, Gary Blake collaborates with leading vocalists and award winning remixers/producers to strive and make the perfect pop song. His influences are wide ranging from 80s synth pop and new wave bands, to contemporary chart artists.
In fact Blake states that for “Waiting”, he was inspired the blend of guitar and synth on the recent Chvrches / Marshmellow offering. To be fair, neon radiation has always been amazing, I have enjoyed all of their releases so far, and this one is no exception.
As always, the vocals are powerful and nuanced, and the sonority of the track proves that neon radiation is amongst the best synthpop projects we have in the world today, bar none. Gary Blake and his project is quite ready to make their entry into the mass consciousness in 2019, embodying a cultural shift from rock groups toying with synth-pop aesthetics, toward outright synth-pop with a rock band’s sensibility.
These kinds of projects are steadily coming to the fore, and amongst them neon radiation truly stands out. The result is soaring, sparkling pop music, tinted melancholy but bright and approachable in execution.
The lead voice beams across the sleek organic and digital backdrop like light reflecting on polished mirror. It confidently and capably narrates a tale of romantic tumult, colored by hope and vulnerability, which is vague enough to write into your own personal situation.
This is pop music, rendered artfully and with plenty of personality to make an impression. It sounds spectacular, and should win them a devoted fan base that will no doubt include a lot alternative radio programmers.
The single most substantial element of neon radiation, over and above the pop genius of Gary Blake, will always be the female voices Blake chooses on each release. On “Waiting”, her voice is captivating in the sense that she can go through a complete range of emotions on a song that otherwise would fit more self-indulgent purposes. It has this immensely likable quality to it that grabs your ear — and your attention.
When backed with equally superb production and songwriting, neon radiation has all the necessary parts to put forth grandiose pop soundscapes with powerful hooks that can draw in just about anyone. “Waiting” which also features the guitar expertise of Gordon Stockley, is released digitally for streaming and download, on Friday 28-June-2019.
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