WEEKNIGHT “In the Dust” (Dead Stare Records)



This short two song cassette is a satisfying slab of 80s inspired Brooklyn synth pop.  Reverb drenched vocals, thudding electronic drums, crisp snare hits and delicious pads add up to a toothsome mix of catchiness.  “California” is the stand out track and I must have listened to it 10 times.  It features a truly epic grimy guitar solo.

My only complaint is how deep and buried the music and vocals are in the mix on the cassette.  It is a little hard to understand and/or appreciate layered on point vocals when you are having to eq the hell out of the thing to make it not sound so muffled.  Perhaps the conversion to cassette was flawed somehow as the tracks online sound much clearer.  I’m a rabid fan of cassettes, and truly love the atmosphere they add.  I very much dislike sacrificing quality to produce a limited number of not very good sounding cassettes.



--Jeremiah Paddock